#i'm so proud of combining prompts!

[baronessblixen]

A Ring and a Promise

Today's the first day of the Eight Nights of Mulder. We're starting with: gold.

I snuck in a 24 Days of X-Mas Files Challenge prompt: family heirloom

Summary: Mulder has a very special gift for Scully. (Fluff, set in season 7; wc: 1,097)

Tagging @today-in-fic @eightnightsofmulder

With the last snow melting and Spring tiptoeing in, Mulder decides it's time for a change in his life, too. For weeks, he's been trying to find the right moment. Seeing Scully lift her face to the sun, a small smile playing on her lips, he can't wait any longer.

"I have something for you," he says.

"What did you say?" Scully turns to him, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"A gift. For you. Maybe... consider it a very late or very early Christmas gift."

"Is that becoming a pattern with you?" He loves her teasing. Lately, she's been doing it more often. And she's smiling more. A sight Mulder can't get enough of. "Christmas was months ago. I've had a birthday since then." She gently nudges his side.

"My present wasn't ready then."

"I admit I'm curious," she admits. "Where is this present?"

"In my pocket." It's been there for months. A few years ago, he considered giving it to her for the first time, afraid he was going to lose her. This time he's not afraid. He's not going to lose her. This is just to show her that she's his choice. That no matter what, he wants to be by her side. Wants her with him. For always. His smile is as shaky as his hand as he reaches into his pocket to take out the small box. Scully looks at it, then back at him.

"Mulder, I'm not sure that-"

"Relax," he says, "I'm not asking you to marry me. Unless you want me to." His wink is met with an amused eye roll.

"But I want you to have this." He puts the small box into her palm and closes her fingers over it.

"Can I look?" she asks him.

"Of course." He waits, watches her as the box comes open with a soft squeak. Scully gasps and stares at him open-mouthed.

"This is a- I can't accept this."

"It's yours."

"Mulder, this is a ring."

"Oh, is it? I thought it was sunflower seeds."

"This isn't funny."

"No, it isn't. I- Scully, I meant what I said. I want you to have this ring. After last year and the whole thing with Diana, with us doing IVF and- I found this again after my mom's death. Have I ever told you about my grandmother?" Scully, still staring at the ring, shakes her head.

"Let's sit down on that bench over there." His hand lands on the small of her back and they walk the small distance together, the golden ring catching a ray of sunshine as they do.

"My grandmother on my mother's side was Jewish. She and my dad never got along and after Samantha... I didn't see her often. The last time I did was shortly before I went to Oxford. She was old by then and sick. I was too young, or too much in denial, to understand that she was dying. She gave me this ring, making me promise that I wouldn't sell it, and would never let my dad have it. I thought she was crazy." He chuckles softly.

"She said this ring has been in her family for ages. I wasn't listening. You know me. I just wanted to get away from everything, even her. She'd always been good to me but I was young and dumb. What I remember is that she wanted me to give it to someone special. Someone I consider my family. I took the ring with me that day, barely looking at it. I left it with my mom. She asked me once if I wanted it back."

"Diana?" Scully asks, reading between the lines.

"Yes," Mulder admits. "But I laughed it off. I never wanted Diana to have it. My mom gave it to me after her stroke. Said it was time. Said that maybe I'd need the ring soon. And I almost did." Tears shimmer Scully's eyes when he glances at her face.

"I almost gave it to you back then." His voice cracks. "I would stare at this ring, thinking I should give it to you. But I was scared, Scully. I wasn't ready to admit it. I wasn't ready to stop fighting. It seemed too final. I could have - maybe should have - given it to you after you beat your cancer. But I- I didn't. But it's time, isn't it?"

"You said this wasn't a proposal." Scully sniffs and he puts his arm around her, pulling her into his side.

"It isn't, it's... a promise." Scully laughs and when their eyes meet, all he sees is love. It's no surprise to him. They don't need to speak the words to know they both feel it. Though he has said it. Even if Scully never says them, and he never dares to repeat the sentiment, it's there in everything they do. And he wants her to have something tangible to remind her.

"A promise to never ditch me again?" There she is again, teasing him.

"A promise to always come back if I do?" he offers in return.

"If I wear this, people will notice," Scully says, taking the ring out of its box. "I still can't believe it, Mulder." When she tries it on, she gasps, realizing it fits perfectly.

"I had it fitted. But I don't expect you to wear it. I just want you to have it. No matter how we define this - us -, you're my best friend, Scully. You're my family. There's no one else I can imagine giving this to. I don't want to either. It's you." Forever, he adds in his mind.

"I did not expect this," she says. "But- I love it, Mulder. The ring is beautiful and I appreciate the thought."

"Do I hear a but?"

"No buts, Mulder," she says, observing the ring on her finger. He does, too. It looks good. More than that, it looks right. His grandmother was right. There was a special person waiting for him all along.

"Thank you." She touches the side of his face and presses a long, lingering kiss to his cheek.

"No kiss on the mouth for a ring?" he jokes, grinning.

"Not in public."

"Does that mean I'll get another one later when we're alone?"

She gets up, the ring still on her finger. She offers him her hand and he takes it. Neither lets go as they start walking.

"You'll get another thank you later," she promises him, and he can't wait. For later, for tomorrow, and for every day he gets to spend with her.

[koolades-world]

I’m so proud of you for getting 2K followers!

Can you please do Simeon x reader (the two are already dating) with Simeon saying both prompts 5. "I’m here. You're safe with me" and 9. “are you bleeding?”

Please and thank you! :D

thank you so much!! i gladly will :))

i don't think i've ever written a dedicated piece for simeon so i'll put my whole heart into this to make sure it does him justice!

enjoy <3

prompts 5 and 9 w/ Simeon

It was getting late. The songbirds were asleep, and fireflies could be seen out in the open field near Purgatory Hall. The stars lit up the sky and if you listened close enough, you could hear demons laughing with one another. On any other day, the sight might be enjoyable and would be a great opportunity to gather loved ones to savor the moment.

But, it was too late for Simeon's liking. He was expecting you home hours ago. You had even called him, letting him know you were on your way home, and that you were running one last errand, despite the fact that you were out with friends. He didn't want to rush or question you though. You were an adult and your own person. You didn't need him looking over your shoulder. How he wish he did though.

He didn't want to call the brothers, because they would tear apart the Devildom searching for you, nor did he want to wake up his housemates out of fear they'd view him as irresponsible. He checked his D.D.D. for what felt like the hundredth time that hour, and after looking at the time, he decided he was going out to find you himself. If you were still running your errand, he could just apologize. He just wanted to make sure you were ok.

Just as he had gathered all his things and was about to put his jacket on, he heard the keys being inserted into the lock of the front door, and he heard it crack open. With the biggest sigh of relief he'd ever let out, he hung the jacket back up and rushed to greet you. You looked tired, and had your jacket oddly draped around you. But, he didn't question that. Instead, he was more focused on the bouquet of flowers in your hand.

"Sorry I took a while to get home. These are for you, sweetie. They took a tumble, so I'm sorry they look a little rough. " You held them out to him, and he felt as if his heart was about to explode from joy. Nobody had ever given him flowers before. He took them from you, and spun them around in his hands. He studied them closely, and found a little note stuck on a picket in the center. You watched anxiously as he removed it and read it.

"Mc. You're too kind. I'll have to make it up to you in some way." The note read 'because you deserve it <3' and Simeon was over the moon at the sentiment. There was no occasion. Mc just wanted to do something nice for him in a way he hadn't expected.

"I thought you might like them. No need to make it up to me. You're my boyfriend. That in itself is more than enough for me. You're my gift, silly." At your words, he threw his arms around you, unable to contain his feelings. He was usually so composed, but he just couldn't hold it in. He found it kind of ironic he found true happiness in the Devildom, but he could live with that fact as long as it meant he got to remain by your side.

In this hug though, something felt off. You leant into him heavily, which he might normally put off as you being loving and happy to see him again, but that combined with everything he'd observed when you'd entered, he felt as if he should at least ask. "Are you alright, my love?" He stepped back a little to scan you for any signs of harm. The way you wrapped the jacket tighter around yourself told him everything he needed to know.

"I'm alright. Just tired from my night out is all." You tried to comfort him with a warm smile, but he was quick to shut that down.

"Be honest with me. This isn't me trying to be mean, and you know that." He glared at you in a way you'd never seen before. With a sigh, you realized the act was up. You shrugged the jacket off, and at first, Simeon saw nothing wrong. But, as he looked closer, the fabric of your shirt looked as if it was damp.

"Are you bleeding? Why didn't you tell me as soon as you got home?" The flowers were quickly set on a nearby table as he rushed to your side to inspect you closer. You lifted your shirt just enough to show off the three evenly spaced slashes on your abdomen.

"I didn't want you to feel bad about the gift." You confessed. He was quick to put two and two together.

"Did you get this while getting my flowers?" Your silence was telling.

"I know what you're going to say, so you don't need to," you sadly told him. He put his arm around your shoulders and led you to the living room. He sat you down on the sofa and told you to hold still while he healed you.

"You should see the other guys." You weakly smiled at him, in hopes of trying to lighten the situation.

"There was more than one? We'll be talking about who did this later since I want to focus on your right now, but you can't casually mention things like that." Simeon sighed. He went silent after that to focus on healing you, and like magic, all that was left of the wounds was scars. Now, the two of you were just staring at each other silently.

"Why didn't you call me?" He remained in front of you to look you in the eyes.

"I had it. I didn't need any help." At first, you planned to stop there, but you couldn't hide anything from him. "They told me they'd hurt you if I tried to ask you for help, and I panicked. I was really worried about you, and they told me no matter what I did, I wouldn't be able to escape." You leant into him again, tears welling up in your eyes.

"Sweetie, it's alright. You did great." He wiped the tears as they fell. Despite the sparse amount of tears, you looked upset and worn down. "I'm here. You're safe with me." His words seemed to resonate with you, and you tightly clutched him as if he might vanish.

"Thank you. I love you." You rested your head on his shoulder.

"I love you too. Remember, your safety always comes first. Any world where you are is a world I want to be in." He gave you a kiss on the top of your head. "By the way, thank you for the gift, I really appreciate it," he told you, gently smiling.

"I thought you'd like it. They made me think of you when I saw them." He couldn't deny the fact that you were always on his mind, and it warmed his heart to know that you felt the exact same.

"Now, let's get you to bed. You need rest. I'll watch over you." With that, the two of you headed off so you could get your well needed rest. Simeone was glad you were safe.

[a-killer-obsession]

In Heat (Bonus Fic)

By jove, yall went and got me to 300 followers! Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart! As promised, here's the bonus followup to this fic, this time with Heat as the omega!

Prompt: Alpha/Omega + Breeding.

Additional Tags: she/her intersex reader, he/him intersex heat, omegaverse and all the usual that comes with it (marking, knotting, etc), friends to lovers, tiny recreational drug mention, mention of child mutilation in regard to intersex babies, transphobia but in a alpha/omega context?, dysphoria, breeding kink, praise kink, handjob, oral sex (giving), p in v sex, creampie, hurt/comfort

WC: 4k

Event Masterlist

🔞 Minors DNI 🔞

“Heat, calm down,” Killer soothed, “it was just a small fire, no biggy. It'll be fixed next island, you can just set up in the commander's lounge for now”

“You don't understand!” Heat pulled at his hair as he paced, “my suppressants were in there!”

You watched as poor Heat nearly wore a line in the floor with his anxious pacing, after accidentally dropping a lit joint on his bed and setting fire to the comforter, along with half the room. Nobody got hurt thankfully, and the damage was minimal really, but his bed and side table had been heavily burned along with their contents. It wasn't a widely known fact that Heat was an omega, he presented like an alpha male, his closest friends were alphas, and with the suppressants masking his scent nobody ever questioned whether he was an alpha. Heat was actually a rarity, a genetic mix between sperm that wanted to be male and an egg that wanted to be an omega, a combination that would not usually result in a viable fetus, resulting in what many people would consider a freak, which meant he fit right in with the Kid Pirates.

Even rarer still was that he was intact, you knew this because you'd heard him speak about his cock piercings. Usually omegas like him were forcefully mutilated at birth to remove the ‘unwanted’ penis, an abhorrent practice that his parents had thankfully disagreed with. You hadn't seen Heat naked but you knew what his kind of omega looked like intact, he had a vaginal opening and female reproductive system, but instead of a clit he had a penis and no testicles. His body presented during puberty as a strong alpha male despite the omega cycle and scent, and while most omegas in his situation went by she/her, Heat identified as a man and went by he/him.

This contrasted with yourself, as an intersex alpha. It was something you and Heat bonded over, both being a rarity as well as identifying against the social norm. When you were born you looked by all accounts like a standard male, and when your scent glands began to develop it was clear you were an alpha. So when puberty hit and your body had filled out to smooth curves, your breasts had grown large and your skin and hair had stayed soft, it was a great dismay to your proud alpha father. The treatment of intersex alphas was far less problematic than the omega counterpart, since it didn't present till puberty, but most of your kind would be forced into unwanted top surgery and hormone replacement so they could fit society's image of what an alpha should be. You'd never really felt like a boy though, so you quickly started identifying as a woman and ended up running away from home at fifteen to avoid your father who was growing more threatening by the day. By law, as a minor at the time, he could have forced you to get the surgery and treatment against your will, so leaving was your only safe option. You skipped between pirate crews for several years until you met Heat and bonded over your similarities, joining the Kid Pirates and their band of freaks (affectionate) that made you feel so comfortable and loved regardless of your presentation.

“Just ask some of the girls for meds,” Kid huffed, “I don't see the issue here”

“They have a different kind to me,” Heat pouted, he hated being reminded of his differences even if his friends didn't care about them, “I'm not… normal… nobody has the right kind for me”

“How long do you have?” You asked carefully, grabbing his hand as he passed to still him and soothe him with gentle swipes of your thumb over the back of his hand, pushing out calming pheromones that made him shiver but lowered his heart rate. You were the only one he was okay with doing this, it made him feel emasculated when the other men did it, but if it was you it just felt affectionate, just a friend calming a friend, not an alpha subduing an omega.

“Till morning, probably,” he sighed, looking at where your hands met and letting your scent soothe him, “I usually take them at night so I'll probably go into pre-heat while I'm asleep”

“So pick an alpha,” Kid rolled his eyes, bored of this. He didn't really understand what the issue was. Omegas go into heat, alphas take care of them, what's the fuss? “I don't want you clawing at my door when you're out of your mind, pick someone while you're coherent”

“He's right, Heat,” Wire agreed, “there's no avoiding it. You're gonna go into heat one way or another, you can either beg one of us when you're not in your right mind and probably regret it after, or just give in and let one of us take care of you. It's just nature, you know none of us are gonna think less of you for it”

Heat groaned in annoyance but he knew they were both right. He didn't want to be in pain on his own for three days, he had four friends all willing to take care of him, he just had to swallow his pride and pick someone. Looking down at where your hands were still connected, the choice was easy, and he looked at you with pleading eyes.

“Okay,” you said softly, immediately accepting his wordless request. It didn't come as a surprise, you had a feeling letting one of the men service him would make him hate himself afterwards. It was different with you, you understood his insecurities better than they ever could. “You wanna build your nest and stay with me tonight?”

He nodded shyly and sat beside you, finally calmed from his anxious episode. You let out more soothing pheromones and he let his torso fall against you, your fingers scratching his scalp reassuringly. “It's gonna be okay Heat, I'll take care of you” He hummed in response and let you rub his arm, giving in to the comfort you offered.

“I'll bring water and food to your room while he's building his nest,” Killer offered and you nodded in affirmation.

“Come on Heat, no time like the present,” you sighed, pushing him to stand. He let you lead him quietly to your room where you opened a cupboard full of scented nesting materials for him, rubbing his back reassuringly before helping him move the things he pulled out to the bed. You were well set for omegas, probably the most prepared of all the alphas on board, as the other girls all felt most comfortable with you during their heats. They still went to the others on occasion, but you were the one to go to if they craved softness. You even had a mini fridge and your own bathroom to easily take care of any needs while you were locked away with them, as did the other alphas on board, Kid, Killer and Wire.

Heat looked depressingly defeated as he arranged soft blankets and pillows in the corner of the room where you'd pulled out the small mattress that lived under your bed, building a protective, comforting nest in the corner, letting his instincts take over as he chose colours and textures that appealed uniquely to him. You dared not interrupt, nest building was sacred for omegas, but you sat nearby on your bed, so he knew you were there in support if he needed you. Killer brought up food and water for three days and you thanked him, setting it in the fridge and bidding him farewell before locking the door. It would be several days before either of you emerged, and keeping it locked with the seastone latch ensured no other alphas would catch his scent and go into a frenzy to get to him. Mostly Kid, he had a sensitive nose and very poor impulse control, and it had led to a few very physical fights between alphas before locks had been installed. An alpha under the influence of an omega's heat scent could fight to the death if it came to it to protect the omega, and it could get very ugly, very quickly.

He curled up in the nest with a sigh as he deemed it complete, looking up at you with forlorn eyes and reaching out one hand. You slid into the nest beside him, letting him nestle into you so his face was buried against your scent gland, your arms wrapped protectively around him.

“Are you gonna mark me?” He asked nervously.

“No, I'm not,” you assured him. Alphas were known to take advantage of omegas during their cycles, forcing claiming bonds onto them when they weren't in the headspace to deny it. “I'm not an aggressive alpha, I won't do that to you”

“What if… what if I want you to?” He asked softly. The question took you by surprise.

“Heat baby, just because you're having a cycle doesn't mean you need an alpha all the time,” you cooed, “you're so strong and independent, you're okay on your own. If you want me to claim you, I will in a heartbeat, you know how much I care about you. But I don't want you asking for it just because you're feeling vulnerable right now. If you still want it after your cycle, I'll give it to you, but not right now”

“Okay,” Heat mumbled sleepily as you pulled a blanket over the two of you, feeling more comfortable now at your assurances. Eventually you were able to get him to sleep, Heat making no complaints as you pumped out soothing pheromones to lull him, keeping him calm while his own scent reeked of anxiety and distress. You felt for him, what he was about to go through was a detriment to his entire identity and would no doubt leave him feeling ashamed and dysphoric once it was over. All you could do was keep him calm, take care of him through his heat, and hope you would be able to emotionally support him properly afterwards.

⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆

Heat was living up to his name when he woke you the next day, sweating from how scorching hot his skin was, his scent ripe with pheromones and making your mouth unconsciously water. Your teeth clamped together on instinct, biting at air as you inhaled the thick scent and tried to get your wits about you. Heat was clawing at your clothes, trying to undress you before your eyes were even properly open, his own clothes already shed and his cock painfully hard. “Need~” he whined, “need you”

“It's okay Heat, I've got you,” you cooed, pushing him onto his back and kneeling between his thighs, even as you still blinked the sleep from your eyes. You stifled a yawn and shook your head, trying to shake the heaviness of sleep, while Heat spread his legs and squirmed, slick already dripping from him and dampening the blanket underneath him. The sweet smell of it was so alluring, your dick twitching to life. You leant down and wrapped one hand around his cock, making him yelp from how sensitive he was despite your gentleness. You held it out of the way as you pumped him slowly, bringing your mouth to his cunt and pressing your tongue inside him where you knew he needed you. You'd never serviced an intersex omega but you could only assume that it would be the same as the girls, but instead of a clit you had a cock to stimulate. It was still a two part affair as it was with full female omegas, so you were confident you could make him feel good. Perhaps even better than the females, since you had experience with your own cock.

Heat moaned and pulled at your hair as you thrust your tongue in and out of him, clear precum dripping from his cock. Much like a full male alphas after a vasectomy, intersex omegas could cum, but without testicles their release was mostly clear and unable to impregnate, ensuring they could not accidentally impregnate themselves. You ran your thumb over the tip of his cock, spreading the precum down his shaft and using it to lubricate him as you pumped at a rate that matched the speed of your tongue. You knew he couldn't be properly satisfied without being knotted, but you felt more comfortable getting him off at least once first so you knew you wouldn't hurt him when you did penetrate him.

It didn't take long at all for him to cum, so very pent up and needy, slick gushing from his pussy and coating your tongue as you swallowed it down with a groan, rutting your cock into the blankets below at the sweet taste that was unique to him as his own cock spilled ropes of thin liquid, dribbling over your knuckles and wetting his pale blue public hair. “Good boy Heat,” you cooed, licking him and your hand clean, making kitten licks up his still hard cock, your dick throbbing at the sight of him wet and squirming, desperate for your knot.

“Br-hnng-bre-ed me-e,” he stuttered, reaching for you, an arm draped over his eyes, unable to bring himself to look at you as he made the request.

“I'll give you what you want baby,” you purred, rubbing your hands over his thighs, “you wanna do it like this or you wanna roll over?”

Heat whined and rolled onto his front, arching his back and sticking his ass in the air to present it to you the way his instincts told him to. Right now he was at their mercy, and they were screaming submit, submit, submit. “Good boy, Heat, you're doing so good,” you assured, rubbing his back as you pumped yourself a few times and lined yourself up, “gonna give you what you need now kay?”

“Please,” he cried, backing himself into you to force you sink into him faster, making you let out a small hiss while he moaned at the feeling of being filled, “need it, need your knot”

“I know Heat,” you held his hips firm but not painfully hard as you began thrusting into him, “gonna make you feel better okay? Just hold on a little longer, I'll be as quick as I can”

“Use me,” he whined, “use my hole, breed me, knot me”

“Fuck, Heat,” you moaned. You were used to omegas saying filthy things during their cycle but to hear it from Heat, a man so much larger and stronger than you, was sending electricity straight to your dick. “Good boy, such a good boy, taking me so well”

Heat was balling the blankets below him into tight fists, throwing himself back at you to set a much harsher pace than you intended, forcing you to fuck him much harder. You leaned forward and reached around him, making him almost scream as you took his cock in your hand and pumped it at the same rough pace, quickly putting him over the edge and letting out a shrill cry that the whole ship no doubt heard as he came, shooting ropes of clear fluid over the blankets and dripping slick in a near constant flow that ran down his thighs and pooled at his knees. His cunt clamped down around you and you moaned as you felt your knot swell, panting hard as it popped and you unloaded inside him, Heat kneading at the blankets like a cat and purring as you filled his cunt with a heavy load of hot viable cum. After his heat he'd be given a tonic to keep him from falling pregnant, but for now you would continue to fill him as much as you physically could till he was sated and his body deemed him properly bred.

“Good boy Heat,” you panted, rubbing his back, “you did so good baby, I'm gonna move you now okay? We're gonna go to your left so you can lay down while I deflate, alright?”

Heat whined as you guided him to lay on his side, wrapping your arms around him and pressing kisses against his back. You heard the whimper of a cry as his scent turned foul with sadness, and you replied with your own soothing scent. “You're okay baby, you're okay,” you cooed, squeezing him tight, “you're no less a man, okay? This is just natural, you're just doing what your body needs. Just a few days and we'll get you your meds and you won't have to do this again okay? Be brave my love, can you do that for me?”

Heat sniffed and his head shifted as he nodded, twisting his fingers to interlock with yours over his stomach as his crying came under control. As soon as your knot deflated enough to pull out you turned him to face you and held him close to your chest, a fresh wave of tears washing over him as he pressed his nose against your scent gland desperately to release more of your comforting scent. You rubbed his back and let him get the feelings out, your heart hurting to see him in such a sorry state.

Once his tears settled you convinced him to let you go, retrieving food and water for both of you and returning to the nest to hold him while he ate slowly, having not much appetite given his current depressed mood. You kept him close afterwards so he could fall back asleep feeling safe and protected, both of you needing to save your energy before the next wave of the heat came along.

⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆★⋆

It was towards the end of day three, the room thick with the smell of sex, both of you exhausted and covered in bruises and scratches and love bites, Heat laying with his head on your chest as you sang quietly to him and scratched his scalp. You'd barely just removed your knot after the last round, cum still dripping from his overfilled cunt.

“I think it might be over,” he sighed with relief, “my head feels clearer”

“I'm glad,” you hummed, pressing a kiss to the back of his hand you'd been holding, “your skin feels like it's finally cooling, how are you feeling?”

“Sore, but content,” he breathed. His head moved to rest his chin on your breast, looking up at you with those perpetually sad eyes. “I think… I think I still want it”

“More sex?” You questioned, “like, just for fun?”

“I mean yes,” he blushed, “but… I mean… your bite”

“Ohhh,” you replied, “oh. You.. you want me? To be your permanent alpha?” Heat nodded shyly and sat up, pulling you with him. He bared his neck with a small needy whimper, and you hesitantly brushed his pale blue hair out of the way, heart racing. You'd never even considered claiming an omega. Intersex alphas were considered damaged goods, nobody wanted them. They were thought to be less viable, less strong, less capable of defending an omega and her young. You thought though, maybe Heat felt the same. This shared insecurity made your relationship with him stronger, made him more comfortable with opening himself up to be vulnerable with you. You could see the blood pulsing in his throat as he presented it to you, his scent gland slightly inflamed as an after effect of the heat, and you couldn't help but run your tongue over your sharp teeth.

“Please,” Heat whined, taking your hand and pulling you closer. You wove your fingers with his and held his hand, and he squeezed it hard as you sunk your teeth into his scent gland, your eyes rolling and your cock twitching back to life as you felt the bond ignite, not yet fully formed though. You licked the wound as you pulled your teeth out, baring your own neck and inviting Heat to lay his own claim. A bond from only an alpha's bite was still viable, often forced during a heat, strong enough on its own to make the omega dependent on the alpha. To allow the omega to bite back, to be vulnerable and allow them their own link to feel what you felt, was a great mark of respect, usually done between lovers. Heat eyes were wide with surprise, looking unsurely at your neck.

“Are you sure?” He asked nervously.

“Claim me, Heat,” you pulled him close, laying down so he was on top of you, giving him back his power, “I wanna be yours.”

Heat whined and kissed you hard, moving to straddle your hips and reaching down between your bodies so he could line himself up, your words and the fresh bond making him needy for you again, this time of his own free will. His hormones were no longer in control of him, he wanted you as much as you wanted him. Asking for your bite had been an act of self preservation, he didn't feel like he could ever feel so safe and loved with another alpha, so having you claim him ensured only you would ever take care of him if this ever happened again. With how sweet you'd been, he was considering ditching the suppressants all together, just so he could have you in his nest again. But you asking for his bite? It was practically a declaration of love, you may as well have proposed to him, and he was eager to return all of that affection in equal droves.

He swallowed your moans as he rode you, making love to you as you ran your hands over his body with gentle caresses, lost in his taste on your tongue and the feeling of his warm cunt embracing you. He only pulled his mouth away from yours to pant, both of you breathing heavily as you held each other tight and looked into each other's eyes, watching each other carefully, eyes deep and swimming with pools of love and devotion. His eyes closed for a moment as he pressed his forehead against yours.

“I'm close,” he groaned, hips losing momentum as his energy dissipated. You held his hips and thrust up into him, your own energy lacking but unable to stop yourself, powering through to bring you both to one last climax.

“Heat, claim me,” you whined, baring your neck invitingly for him, pulling him to you. You both let out harsh cries as his teeth sunk into your neck and the bond came to fruition, joint pleasure compounding through the link and crashing into you both like a freight train. You called each other's names as you both shook and came harder than you ever thought possible, your stomach wet with threads of Heat's thin cum as it released from his cock, abdomen drenched as he squirted on you, your knot popping inside him and locking your bodies together as you saw stars and painted his insides white. He collapsed against you, very nearly crushing you with his large frame, both of you twitching from aftershocks, which in turn would be felt by the other through the link and set of another aftershock, a chain reaction that left you both panting and writhing till you were able to pull out of him and lay him beside you.

You could feel his love through the bond as you looked at him, his eyes closed and face relaxed with content, feeling safe beside you. You held him close, his arms wrapping tightly around you, warm tingling felt through the mental link as you ran soft hands over each other's bodies, both feeling more accepted and loved than you could ever dream.

[etherealyoungk]

strangers to lovers | moon junhui

seventeen as romantic tropes series ✩ masterlist ✩

PAIRING: junhui x reader

THEMES: strangers to lovers trope, blind date

WARNINGS: fluff

WORDCOUNT: 850

A/N: enjoy <3

you reached the restaurant a bit early and sat down at a table, waiting for your date to arrive. it was your first blind date and you were really nervous about it, but also a little hopeful because he seemed like a nice guy when you had talked and he seemed really eager to meet you. you wore a simple yet pretty outfit and some minimal makeup. you checked the time on my phone and it was almost 5:00pm. he should be here soon. but 15 minutes have passed and he's still not here.

"are you ready to order miss?" the waitress asks.

"no i'm actually waiting for someone", you say and she gives you a small nod and goes on her way. another ten minutes pass and he's still not here. you call and text him but he isn't taking your calls and isn't seeing your texts either.

dread and realisation wash over you as you realise you've been stood up. but some part of you doesn't want to believe it and you keep waiting, hoping that he's just late. the waitress makes her way to your table again and you try your best to keep calm as you tell her the person you're waiting for is running latel but she just gives you a look like she knows.

as you look around, people are glancing at you and giving you apologetic looks and you suddenly feel so embarrassed, looking down at your lap, and fiddling with your fingers. it's been almost 45 minutes and now you really don't think he's going to show up - you've been stoop up. you finally get the courage to get up and leave when a man you've never seen before and is damn well not your date sliding into the seat across from you, flashing you a pretty smile.

"hey babe, i'm so sorry i got late, i had a small setback at work", he says loudly, like he wants everyone to hear. you furrow my brows in confusion.

"'i'm jun, just go with it okay?" he adds quietly, and you don't know why but you went with it. maybe because he was trying to help you from this embarrassing situation.

"finally! i was so hungry", you reply, surpressing the urge to laugh out loud at what you were doing right now.

"oh really? you should have ordered something for yourself then, i'm so sorry for being late", he replied and you couldn't help but chuckle at this exchange, and he chuckled along too.

you both go quiet again, just looking at each other. "whoever didn't bother to show up is an ass", he says, breaking the silence. "so you don't mind if i join you right?" he asks, looking at you intently.

"no, it's fine", you say and we order our food.

"how did you know i was stood up?" you ask, leaning forward.

"oh, you're going to think i'm weird", he rubbing the back of his neck "like this situation isn't weird enough", you prompt, giving him a look.

"i see you in the bus almost every day and i thought of asking for your number so i followed you. but it looked like you were waiting for someone so i just sat on the bench outside. and when i saw no one had come after 20 minutes, combined with the look of dread on your face, it was easy to put it all together", he explains sheepishly.

"oh, was it that obvious?" you asked, feeling embarrassed and shy again. "yeah, but i think i came and saved you just in time didn't i?" he asked, proud. "yes you did, thank you for that", you say smiling.

he's so sweet and so cute not to mention really handsome. you both talk some more over dinner and he insists on paying even though you barely know him and you offer to pay him back.

"thank you again, it was really sweet of you", you tell, grateful and he smiles.

"no problem, i still can't believe that such a pretty person like you got stood up", he said, flattering you.

"you should really give your boyfriend a piece of your mind when you see him, he shouldn't have stood you up like that, he could have at least called and told you", he added as you furrow your brows in slight confusion.

"actually it was a blind date, i don't have a boyfriend", you said and you didn't miss the face light up at this piece of information, suddenly looking hopeful as he tried to hide the smile on his face.

"in that case, you do want to have lunch tomorrow with me?" he asked, and he was definitely nervous by the look on his face. was he asking you out?

"sure", you tell because why not? he seemed like a really sweet and cool guy and he was 100% better the guy who just stood you up.

he grinned when you said yes and you both exchanged numbers and parted ways. tonight was the best non-planned date ever.

taglist: @biboramp3 @naaaaafla @weird-bookworm @icyminghao @blue-jisungs @wootify @n4mj00nvq @itsveronicaxxx @fallingforshua29 @frankenstein852 @lvlystars @mirxzii @wheeboo @fairyhaos @kikohao @rubywonu @odxrilove @writingmeraki @asilentreader @kwonshiho @belladaises @graybaeismytae @mykpopficblog @seunghancore @emotionalsupportbrat @moodays @avaaahuang @foxinnie8 @wonvsmile

[kitashousewife]

I don't know if this counts as a prompt but how about the "Only One Bed" trope with Hinata~?

nonnie this is perfect!! thank you sooooo much for the idea heehee i hope this turned out okay!

brazil!hinata, fluff, friends to lovers

-

hinata's bubbling with excitement all day long. through his morning shower, while he took out the garbage, during the practice games this afternoon, and the entirety of the evening, he's been giddy. riding the transit to the airport and dealing with the tense flow of travelers didn't phase him one bit.

now he stands in the airport holding a ridiculously large and vibrant sign with your name in massive letters, right above his head.

the two of you had planned this trip a little over three months ago. hinata had almost reached his two-year mark in brazil, and was getting ready to move home. he asked you to be his travel buddy, even offering to pay for your travel if you would be so kind to accompany him. you couldn't say no, of course, and made plans to fly to see your best friend.

you and hinata met when you were first years, both in the same elective classes. you've been inseparable ever since. you watched every game that you could, despite your own busy schedule. even while he's been gone, weekly facetimes and daily chats have kept you closer than ever.

you'd be lying if you said you weren't a little nervous, though.

over the past two years, you've watched hinata grow from a bouncy, excited teenager into a confident and strong man. he's honed his skills to perfection and it shows. you've seen the streams. you thought he was incredible in high school, but he's got to be the best volleyball player you've ever seen. it's amazing, and you're so proud.

but this confidence has affected more than just his performance.

hinata carries himself in a way that exudes confidence and pride. he's tan, dusted with freckles, and toned muscles that prove the hours of volleyball he's endured. he smiles often, a bright and toothy grin whenever he speaks. hinata is sure of himself. he knows who he is, speaking with a clear voice and tone.

which is much more attractive than you had thought.

you've found yourself thinking about him more, lingering thoughts of his happy grin that follow you throughout the day. you think about his pretty hair and how it shines in the sun during your morning commute. you think about his cheery voice and the nicknames he calls you on your lunch break.

and as you step off of the plane, those thoughts come to a screeching halt.

once off the terminal and into the building, you're hit with the heat of brazil. that combined with the disorientation of it all, you are a little overwhelmed. until a near fluorescent pink sign held up by tan, strong arms and an orange mop of hair catch your eye.

"sho!"

you run, carry on dragging behind you until you meet your best friend. hinata picks you up, squeezing you as tight as he can before setting you down.

"god, i'm so glad to see you. was the flight okay? did i get you good seats? were you able to sleep?"

hinata tucks the sign under his arm, picks your bag up for you, and leads you to the exit. you follow behind him with a laugh.

"yes, yes, and a little bit," you answer while the two of you wait in the shade of the large sign, being put to good use in the evening sun. "did you wait long?"

he shakes his head. "less than twenty minutes. but you know that i would've stayed all day for you."

as the bus pulls and the two of you find a seat, hinata can't sit still. he's been feeling the same way that you have, but he's been able to distract himself until now. the way you say his name feels special, something that he looks forward to on every call. he counts down the hours until your weekly facetimes, heart pounding in anticipation everytime the call rings through.

"so, what's on the agenda shoyo?"

thankfully, that snaps him out of his thoughts and back to you as you rest your hand on his knee to get him from bouncing it.

"sorry," he stills. "well, i figured we could grab something to eat at my place. i don't have any practice until tomorrow, so we can relax tonight and head to the beach tomorrow. i figured you would want to rest after flying all day."

you can't help but smile. years of beach photos and now it's finally your turn to run into those waves he gushes about every day.

"sounds perfect to me. after the house tour i'll change and we can relax."

hinata snorts. "can't wait to show you everything, it will take a whole two minutes!"

you push into his side with your shoulder, rolling your eyes. the bus slows to a stop and hinata stands up, nodding his head towards a set of apartment buildings.

"this is our stop," he sighs, grabbing your hand to lead you off of the bus and across the street. as soon as you are en route for the building, he lets go of your hand. a small wave of tension washes over the two of you, but you're quick to move on. the excitement of seeing your best friend after two years outweighs the newfound feelings.

"okay, first part of the tour," hinata mumbles as his fingers fuss with the lock on his door. he cheers to himself as he finally gets it open, and runs into the middle of the room.

"ta-da!" he puts his arms out and waves his hands. "here's...everything!"

it is quite small, but it's just what he needed. a small kitchen with a couple of bar stools, a large window with an AC unit, and a few photos taped to the fridge. a couple volleyballs sit in what must be the living room, along with his goggles and extra water bottles. he walks to a door adjacent to the front door and laughs.

"so that's my kitchen, obviously. and then this was my living room, but i already sold my couch and chairs,"

you stop walking and give him a confused stare.

"wait, you got rid of your couch? what am i going to-"

"here's my room. that's the bathroom," he points towards another door which is next to a large map of japan taped to the wall. the other walls are decorated as well, with photos of friends and family and other photos he enjoyed. some scenery from home, photos he snapped at the beach, and some volleyball posters as well. hinata scratches his head. "i know it's pretty small, but i didn't need much. but, if you need towels they're in here, and-"

"shoyo."

"the AC unit is perfect, too. if you need it turned up just let me know-"

"shoyo."

he stops finally, hand reached towards his small closet door when he turns to you.

"what's up?"

"you got rid of your couch?"

he laughs, flopping onto his bed. "yeah! two days ago. it was a pain in the ass to get down the stairs," he shakes his head, remembering how ridiculous the whole thing was.

"why did you do that?"

now he returns your confused look. tilting his head to the side, he looks at you. your arms are folded across your chest, your boarding passes still in your hand from earlier. a habit you clearly haven't let go of.

"what do you mean? i'm moving home next week, and i can't take it with me."

"shoyo, i was going to sleep on the couch."

hinata's smile falters slightly as the realization sets in. you're right, he was going to sell it the day before the two of you left. the busyness of the past few days caused that to slip his mind, selling it to his downstairs neighbor.

he swallows. normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal. the two of you have had tons of sleepovers before. but something is different now. something that he doesn't want to ruin.

"you can take my bed. i can just sleep on the floor, i don't mind at all!"

you shake your head, shuffling to join him on the bed. "it's your bed, sho. i'm not going to do that to you!"

"you're my guest, what sort of host would i be to make you sleep on the floor? c'mon, it's my fault i sold the couch to begin with. you can take the bed, i promise."

you play with your fingers for a moment, deciding what you're going to say for a bit.

"we could share," you suggest, voice quiet. when you look up at him, hinata's cheeks are dusted pink. he clears his throat.

"i-if you're okay with it, of course."

you nod. "i don't mind. it would keep us both comfortable."

hinata nods, hoping you don't hear the pounding of his heart in his chest. honestly, he would like nothing more than to keep you close. many nights, especially over the last few months, he's awake with thoughts of holding you, keeping you tight to him as you count the stars.

"well, i'll start dinner. feel free to shower, change, whatever you want."

"is that your way of telling me that i stink?"

hinata laughs out loud, throwing his extra pillow toward you before heading to the kitchen. god, he missed you. he missed your wit, your laugh, and the way your nose scrunches when he tells a bad joke. he missed everything about you, but he can't find the words to tell you.

the two of you spend the night playing cards on his living room floor, sharing stories of silly things that occurred over the last few weeks. hinata showed you a few photos he took a couple days ago, and laughed as he retold the stories behind them. before you knew it, it was almost 2:30 am, which meant it was time to go to bed.

the two of you had been putting it off as long as possible. but, with the way you rest your head in your hands between games, hinata knows it's time.

"i have extra blankets in the closet if you need them," he points from the bathroom, toothbrush hanging from his lips. you nod, moving your things out of your suitcase to keep busy. you're hoping to distract yourself as much as you can. "i'm going to shower really quick, but make yourself comfortable. i'll keep quiet," he closes the door all but a crack, the warm light escaping onto the bed like a spotlight.

you do as he says, getting comfortable underneath the blankets as far to the side as possible. as soon as your head hits the pillow, you begin to fall under. hinata's warm scent envelopes you and you feel safe, the hours of travel finally catching up to you as you shut your eyes.

you're not sure how long it's been before hinata joins you, sliding into bed as carefully as he can. he lies on his back for a while, trying to decide if he should hold you or keep his distance. the smell of his body wash causes you to stir a little, and without thinking hinata pulls your back to his chest.

you hum, very groggily as you feel the warmth of his bare skin on you. after a moment your eyes snap open as you realize the situation.

"i didn't mean to wake you, i'm sorry," he whispers, voice close to your ear in the position the two of you are in.

"it's okay," you breathe, scared if you move that he will push away.

a few minutes pass, the two of you unmoving and listening to the sounds of your rapid heartbeats, slowly beginning to beat as one.

"i'm sorry about the couch," hinata whispers once more, voice raspy with sleep. "but i like having you close."

your lips part slightly at the confession. your mind is swimming, shocked at the fact that he feels the same. you start to speak, but nothing comes out. instead, you reach for his hand with yours, softly pulling it wraps around you in wordless accord. hinata pulls you closer, a silent reassurance that he feels the same.

"goodnight, shoyo," you sigh, leaning back into his chest. shakily, he leans forward to place a kiss on the back of your head.

"goodnight," he says into the night. the two of you drift off to sleep, feelings pushed aside for the time being. for now, hinata finally holds you close, and falls asleep with a smile.

[sunflowersandsapphires]

Waste away with me

Of Oak and Ivy, Chapter 6

Series Masterlist         Next Chapter

pairing: Matt Murdock x fem!reader 

summary: In college, Matt Murdock had two best friends, Foggy Nelson and you. However, life had no intention of letting you graduate with him. When he reconnects with you in adulthood, he is troubled to see the hand God has dealt you and vows to use every tool at his disposal to save you from damnation.

warnings: swearing, brief descriptions of illness (obligatory sitcom sick episode alert), Matt being dumb, disgusting levels of pining

a/n: This was originally part of Heaven Help the Fool but that chapter would've been almost 9k so I split it up. I'm pretty proud of this half so I hope you all like it! As always, reblogs and comments are especially appreciated.

w/c: 4.4k

Swaying your hips to the rhythm of the song blasting through your headphones, you scrubbed at a particularly stubborn spot of food on the pan you were cleaning. Your sock-covered feet bounced from side to side as you danced, traipsing around your kitchen as you washed the dishes. Waltzing another sudsy item over to the drying rack, you giggled to yourself as it nearly slipped from your grasp. 

It had been ages since you’d danced around a kitchen, something that had brought you joy since you were little. You were hesitant to let yourself act so carefree, even in front of Jen and Oscar. The only person who had ever witnessed your uninhibited performances before was your mother, and spinning around on the wood floor of your kitchen when you were home alone was a great cure for your homesickness—giving you a taste of home right here in New York City. 

As you rinsed soap from the rubber gloves you were wearing, you were startled out of your daydreaming by a shrill ringtone. Peeling off the banana-yellow gloves, you answered your phone with a frown. 

“Hey Matt, you ok?” You weren’t sure why this call had already set off alarm bells in your brain. Perhaps it was because of how frustrated Matt had seemed lately, even after you’d helped him organize his room. The poor boy was drained, only more so over the last two days because Foggy had fallen ill and Matt had taken it upon himself to nurse the blond boy back to health. 

“Uh, yah. Yep, I’m good.” Matt’s voice was breathless and almost sluggish, the words spilling through the speaker just too far apart from one another to sound normal. The response did nothing to quiet your concerns. 

“Ok…did you need something?” You prompted after he failed to explain himself. 

“Oh right, um, it’s raining and I, uh, I was wondering if you could give me a ride home?” Was he drunk? His sentence was a complete thought, but it seemed like he was barely stringing it together coherently. 

“Yah, of course.” You responded, slipping a pair of shoes on and searching for your keys. “Where are you, trouble?” 

“Er, the pharmacy by the auditorium.” 

“Ok, trouble, stay dry. I’ll be there soon.” You promised, hurrying out the door and into the stormy weather. 

When you arrived at the pharmacy, your chest squeezed in sympathy at the pathetic sight before you. Huddled on a bench under the awning of the pharmacy was Matt, his hoodie soaked with rain. You could see your poor friend shaking from the cold, arms huddled around his waist as he waited. After parking your car hastily, you dashed over to him with an open umbrella, understanding beginning to flow through your mind as you studied his appearance. 

Up close, his trembling was vicious, shaking drops of rainwater off of his hair and glasses. He was breathing heavily and his nose was bright red. And, perhaps more worrying than all of those things combined, he hadn’t noticed you standing right in front of him. 

Matt always knew when you were around. It was almost scary. You and Foggy liked to joke that he had super powers, but he explained he was just used to relying on his other senses to inform him of his surroundings. 

They clearly weren’t working properly right now, though. 

“Matty?” You asked softly, braving the puddles and kneeling in front of him. Holding the umbrella up higher to shield both of you from the pelting rain, you flinched as his hand shot out, grabbing you by the lapel and yanking you forward before recognition relaxed his jaw. 

“Bug?” 

“Yah, trouble, it’s me.” Shaking off the shock that had brewed in your throat when Matt yanked you to the ground, you continued. “Let’s get you into my car where it’s warmer.”

Taking his arm gently, you guided him under the umbrella and towards your car. Matt’s body sagged against yours as you walked, dampening your own sweater with the moisture from his clothes. Once he was settled in your passenger seat, you closed the umbrella, tossing it in the trunk before racing to the driver’s side and hopping in the car. 

“Ok, Matty, am I taking you back to your dorm?” You asked, restraining yourself from brushing stray raindrops off his flushed cheeks. 

“Yes please.” His voice was hoarse, quiet. Too distant from the charming, velvet tone you loved so much. 

Nodding habitually, you backed out of the parking space and drove faster than normal through campus. 

“Why were you at the pharmacy in such shitty weather?” You wondered aloud, unsure if he had the energy to respond. 

“Getting cold medicine and tissues for Foggy.” He answered tiredly. 

“Sounds like you might need some of that yourself, trouble. How long have you been sick?” 

“‘M fine.” Came Matt’s gruff response, shutting down your genuine concern with two words. 

“Alrighty then.” You said, more to yourself than him, but you didn’t say anything further. 

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, save for a few stifled sneezes that you pretended not to hear for the sake of Matt’s dignity. In no time, you were rolling up to the front door of his building. 

“Did you want me to walk you up?” You asked cautiously. 

“No, I’ll be ok, sweetheart.” Matt sighed, seeming a bit more lucid after warming up. “Foggy is really gross right now and I’d hate for you to catch this.” 

“Ok, well, take good care of each other. And, maybe take a few days off? To rest so you don’t get sick too?” You proposed, hoping he wouldn’t be too grumpy with the suggestion. 

Matt nodded heavily, running a hand under his nose. “Not a bad idea. I'm sorry for calling you for a ride but the buses weren’t running and—“ 

“Matt,” You placed your hand on his thigh. “It’s ok. It’s disgusting outside. Even if the buses are running, you can always call me. Always, yah?” 

“Ok. I’m sorry.” 

You chuckled, squeezing his leg. “You’re forgiven, trouble. Go get some sleep please.” 

“I will. Text me when you’re home so I know you’re safe?” 

“Of course. Have a good night, bubs.” With a final pat on his thigh, you watched as Matt left the safety of your car and braved the rain as he headed up to his room. Shaking your head, you hoped he’d hold up his end of your agreement. 

Sinking into the tiny fold-up chair, you closed your eyes as the legs squeaked against their corresponding bolts. The empty chairs bordering yours did nothing to protect you from the draft that kept bursting through the door every time a student entered. Usually, there were two people sitting on either side of you to shield you from the bitter cold in the city outside. 

Holding back a sigh, you wrapped your arms around your stomach in an attempt to retain heat. You were grateful that the boys had stayed home to rest, you supposed, but their absence still weighed on you. Biting your bottom lip before it could shift into a pout, you shuddered against an especially fierce gust of wind as someone stumbled in a minute before class was supposed to start. 

You ignored their footsteps, until they entered your row; the shadow of the newcomer blocking the side of your face from the flickering fluorescent lights as they shuffled towards you. 

A pit formed in your stomach as you turned your head; deep regret surging through you for wishing you had company when you took in his appearance. 

“Matt?” You whispered, laying a hand on his arm as he tumbled backwards into his usual seat to your right. 

If you thought he had looked rough last night, he looked positively deathly now. His skin was pale and shining with sweat, no doubt from the exertion of getting to class. A bright pink flush stained his cheeks and nose, accentuating the hollow circles under his eyes. 

“Oh bubba,” You gasped, reaching out to touch his heated cheek. To your surprise, he flinched at the movement, suspending your hand in midair, doomed to hover around his face as you scolded the dreadfully ill boy. “What are you doing here?” 

Leaning into your touch sloppily, apprehension abandoned, Matt exhaled raggedly. “We had class.” His voice was strained beyond recognition, causing your own throat to throb painfully in sympathy. 

“You sound like you feel awful, Matty. You knew I would be here taking notes, why’d you leave your bed?” You tutted in soft disapproval. Fighting the urge to hold him close in front of the entire lecture hall, you moved your hand to his arm, sliding it into his elbow. His skin was burning, even through his layers; your shivering a distant memory as his fever warmed you both. 

“Didn’t want to be a burden.” Matt murmured, facing the front of the room rather than your surprised gaze. 

“Matthew, you are never a burden for needing help,” You admonished gently, stroking your thumb over his forearm. Before you could attempt to drill that fact into his stubborn mind, your professor began lecturing. “We will talk more about this later. I will take good notes, you focus on not fainting.” You hissed, withdrawing your hand from his arm. 

“‘M not gonna faint.” He muttered, but even he didn’t seem certain of that fact. 

The 150 minute class ticked by idly, the scratching of your pen diligently scribbling on paper slowly drove you mad as Matt slumped further into your personal space; his chin slowly inched towards his chest as he fell asleep to the sounds of your professor’s absurdly boring speech. Every instinct in your body was telling you to grab the kid and bolt, somehow getting him home and bundled up before he contracted pneumonia. 

After what felt like days, your professor finally dismissed you. Sighing harshly, you smiled at Matt’s sleeping face, almost feeling guilty waking him. 

“Ok, trouble, up and at ‘em.” You nudged his shoulder, catching him as he almost tumbled out of his seat with a start. “C’mon, bubs. We gotta get you home.”

“Home?” Matt slid his glasses off, rubbing at his eyes blearily.

“Yah, Matty. Back to your dorm, so you can sleep some more.” You explained, stroking a hand over his back as the students around you filed out of the lecture hall. 

“But…we have class.” Matt’s lips slid into a pout, his nose scrunching in confusion. 

“No, trouble, I have class. You are going to sleep off this wretched bug while I take notes for you and Fog.” 

Matt grumbled, but didn’t argue further. Gently tugging on his hand, you pulled him out of his chair and out the door, holding him tightly against your side as you both braved the freezing weather. 

By the time you reached his building, your jaw was stiff with concern. On an average day, Matt’s movements were graceful and calculated. As he descended into his feverish delirium, however, he began to rely more heavily on your strength to keep him from crashing to the pavement. Dragging him up the stairs, the two of you miraculously stumbled to his door without injury. 

Passing you his lanyard, Matt shifted his weight to the drywall surrounding his door as you unlatched the lock and pushed into the room. The space was shrouded in darkness, a set of thick sheets draped over the window panes to block out all natural light. 

Allowing your eyes to adjust, you rested a hand on Matt’s shoulder as he shuffled into the room. “Hey, Fog. Sorry to bust in unannounced. Wanted to make sure that Trouble here…” Trailing off, your strained eyes flitted over Foggy’s empty bed. Brow furrowing in confusion, you looked back to the dark haired boy for an explanation. 

“Where’s Foggy, Matt?”

“Went back to Hell’s Kitchen for the week.” Frowning, Matt’s brow pinched in distress. “Thought I told you that.” 

Holding back a sigh, you fiddled with the straps of your backpack as you debated how to best help the ill boy who was currently kicking his shoes off and collapsing into bed. 

“Ok, bubba,” You crouched beside him, fussing with his comforter until he was properly bundled. “Have you taken anything for that fever today?” 

Shaking his head, which knocked his glasses askew, Matt’s frown deepened. “Didn’t know I had to.” 

“You don’t have to, but it’ll help you feel better.” Gently sliding his lenses off of his pale face before they were damaged or lost, you scanned the grim space for anything that could help. Lips twitching in satisfaction when you spotted a container of Tylenol, you handed Matt a few pills and his water bottle. 

“There. That should do for now. Will you be ok if I head to class?” 

A muscle in Matt’s jaw twitched as his expression turned stony. “Yes.” 

Brushing a strand of hair from his forehead, you nodded hesitantly. “Ok, trouble. I’ll be back later to check on you. Call me if you need anything.” 

Matt nodded, but you doubted he took your request to heart. 

Shifting your backpack to your other shoulder, you sighed as the weight refused to distribute in a more comfortable way across your upper back. The fluorescent lights above you buzzed as you ran your fingers over another blanket—still unsatisfied with how soft the options were. If they weren’t perfect to you, they might not even be bearable for your friend and his sensitive skin. 

Stopping at Target before returning to Matt wasn’t strictly necessary, but the boy had seemed so chilled in class, you figured he could use a nice soft throw blanket to add to his bed. You weren’t quite sure how to care for a sick person, but you had a few ideas give your own experiences. 

You’d picked up soup from a local deli, printed off the notes you’d taken in class today using the braille printer, and were tossing the softest blanket you could find into your cart before hurrying to check out. Though it had only been a few hours, you were growing increasingly worried about Matt and the fact that he was all alone in his dark room, hopefully not coughing his lungs out or burning up with fever. 

Setting the bagged blanket back in your passenger seat, you blew out a breath before shifting your car into drive. The city lights blurred in the corners of your vision as you jerked forward in the line of evening traffic, worming your way closer to Matt with every lift of your foot from the brake pedal. Eventually, you were able to squeeze into a well-worn parking space. Flipping open your phone, you hoped that your ill friend would be coherent enough to grant you access to the building.

After a ring, an out-of-breath Matt answered with a brief, “Hello?”

“Hey! I, uh, brought you some stuff. Are you able to let me in or should I lurk until someone leaves?” You asked distractedly, craning your neck to see if you could dash for the exit as a group of boys left.

The boy huffed a laugh, knowing you were only partially joking about waiting for entry. “I'll be down in a second, Bug. Please don't scare the regulars.“  His voice was still more stuffy than normal, but he seemed to know what was going on--which was an improvement from this morning.

You snorted in response. ”No promises, Matty. I'm impatiently awaiting your presence.“ Your voice sing-songed with the last sentence, making him groan.

”Alright, alright, I'm coming.“

Sure enough, a few minutes after he abruptly ended the call, a hoodie-clad Matthew leaned out of the door frame and waved you over. ”Hurry up, sweetheart, it's cold outside.“

Smiling at the familiar fond-exasperation and sarcasm that your friend had been lacking lately, you darted across the parking lot, squeezing his bicep as you passed. ”Maybe you should've worn a jacket, trouble.“

“Maybe I should've.” He smiled, letting the door whoosh closed behind the two of you. “You didn't have to come back, you know.” His voice shifted into a murmur, his expression becoming unreadable as he slipped his hand into your elbow thoughtlessly.

Gently bumping your hip into his, your face flooded with warmth as he smiled at the action. “Course I did, trouble. I wasn't about to leave you here to wallow in your misery alone. Being alone when sick is the worst.”

Matt shrugged as you reached the top of the stairs, panting slightly from exertion as he pushed his door open for you. “I wouldn't know.”

Smile falling, you looked back at Matt, his body turned away from you as he closed the door and slipped out of his shoes.

“What do you mean, Matty?” You wondered aloud, settling yourself on his bed and clasping your hands around the handle of the shopping bag you held as you waited for his response.

”Oh, I mean, growing up in an orphanage and all,“ Matt chuckled hollowly, keeping his face tilted away from you, his body desperately trying to stop you from seeing through his stoicism, as you always did. ”Always too many kids and too little time, the sisters couldn't exactly sit at my bedside. And I wasn't exactly popular amongst the kids, so I guess I never had anything to compare the loneliness to.“

Matt tangled his hands together, squeezing them as he spoke, as if he wasn't quite ready to sit back down.

”I mean, I'm sure my dad was good about it, but I can't really remember--“ His voice cracked off into a jagged coughing fit. Sliding from the mattress, you ushered him into a seated position.

”Careful there, trouble. Still gotta breathe.“ Rubbing his back as he caught his breath, you handed him his water bottle--grimacing when he grinned at you maniacally.

”You sure? Choking to death is pretty fun.“ He rasped, sipping the water slowly.

Scoffing through a laugh, you shook your head, planting yourself next to him on the bed. ”That's dark, trouble.“

Smirking as he finished the water, Matt gave a one-armed shrug. ”You've heard darker.“

”Touche.“ Kicking your feet like a child on a swing, you chewed the inside of your cheek. ”About what you said, Matty--“

Groaning, Matt fell backwards onto the mattress, bouncing you with his weight. He threw an arm over his face. “I was hoping we'd just move past it.”

“Were you?” You raised an eyebrow, unsure how truthful the statement was.

“I mean, nothing we can do about it now.” He muttered, his jaw tensing beneath his forearm.

“Well, that's not exactly true...” You argued, unwrapping an item from the thin plastic bag you'd hauled in. Unfurling the large square of fabric, you draped it over Matt carefully, quickly turning back to organize the rest of the supplies you'd brought. “I'll just have to teach you.”

”Teach me what?“ Matt croaked, lifting his head to allow his ears to track your movement as you bustled about, his fingers absentmindedly petting the soft blanket you'd thrown across him.

“How to be sick,” You responded matter-of-factly, not entirely alleviating Matt's confusion.

“Pretty sure I'm doing that just fine without a lesson.” Matt chuckled, gesturing to his pale face.

“Oh, you have definitely got the pathetic wallowing handled.” You nodded, returning with a container of soup and a spoon.

“Pathetic?” Matt pouted, his nose crinkling in offense.

Ignoring him, you withdrew one of his hands from the blanket envelope, placing the plastic tub into it. “I'm going to teach you how to be cared for. Lesson number one: Letting people bring you soup. It's the first step to a speedy recovery“

”These lessons feel incredibly subjective,“ Matt groused, face briefly lighting up as he placed the first spoonful of soup into his mouth, digging into the container earnestly as the taste hit his tongue.

”To the contrary, Murdock, these lessons are based firmly in statistics.“

”I'd like to review your citations.“

Pretending not to hear him, you continued. ”Lessons two and three are soft blankets and rest--two things that I know you're not familiar with, so I'm afraid to say you might not be credible to comment on the validity of these remedies.”

“My blanket is plenty soft.”

“Oh is it? I mean, I can take this back if you don't want it.” As you moved to retrieve the blanket from around him, Matt growled, hands clenching around fistfuls of the fuzzy material.

“I'm sorry, would you like to keep it?” You grinned, your smug attitude seeping into your words.

Matt feigned an eye roll. “Well if the experts think it'll help me feel less shitty, I guess it's worth a shot.”

“See, that's the spirit!”

Smiling, Matt cocked his head at you. “What's next on the syllabus, Professor?”

”This is the best part, Matty,“ You said excitedly, rummaging through your bag to find the item you were thrilled to share with him. ”Jen let me borrow her iPod! I downloaded an audiobook for us.“

Taken aback, Matt had to consciously remember to breathe before responding. ”That's...you didn't have to do that, bug.“

”I figured you'd probably be bored, sitting here without Foggy all day. And, I haven't passed the bar yet, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to do homework when you feel like crap.“

Matt shook his head with a small laugh. ”What book is it?“

”It's called The Alchemist. I read it with my mom last year when she was undergoing treatment. I think you'll like it.“

”Thank you, sweetheart.“ Matt could feel a flush spreading over his cheeks that was unrelated to his current fever. Feeling entirely exposed and vulnerable, he took a leap. ”I...uh, I really didn't enjoy being by myself this afternoon. I'm happy that you came back.“

”Of course, Matty.” You murmured, stroking stray wisps of hair from his forehead. “I never want you to be alone if you don't want to be. I'll always come back to you.”

The heaviness of that statement didn’t escape either of you. Sitting in silence for a moment, Matt was unsure whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

“Even if you're ridiculously grumpy when sick.” You sighed dramatically, shaking your head.

Your stupid joke decided his next move, startling a laugh from his mouth. ”I'm not that bad, am I?“

”I guess we'll find out, won't we?“ You giggled. ”But don't worry, I'm not easily scared off.“

Maybe you should be. His brain immediately supplied. Praying his face didn’t betray the immense doubt that abruptly smacked him upside the head, he focused on the feather-light touch of your fingers in his hair. 

Before his mind could spiral any further, you spoke again. “If you ever need space, say the word and I'll be gone. It has been recently brought to my attention that I'm not great at taking hints.” Your thighs brushed together beside him as you shifted nervously. 

Frowning at your words, he leaned into you. “What do you mean, sweetheart? Who brought it to your attention?“

Huffing a bitter laugh, Matt could practically hear your walls going up as you backpedaled. ”It's nothing, Matty. I didn't mean anything by it–”

“Bug, please don't lie.” Sliding a single hand out from his blanket cocoon, he groped around until his fingers found yours, intertwining them. “Talk to me?”

Breathing deeply, you confessed. “At the Halloween party, a couple weeks ago, I heard Everett talking to his friends, they were ragging on him for being whipped or some stupid bullshit and he...fuck I can't believe I'm still upset about this.” 

You scoffed at your own frustration, running a finger over Matt’s knuckles absentmindedly. “Instead of defending me, or even just saying nothing, he called me clingy. And, ever since, he, like, refuses to acknowledge me in public.”

“I'm so sorry, sweetheart.” Matt felt a familiar rage bubbling in his stomach, churning fiercely at the thought of you being so insecure because of an idiot like Everett.

“It's fine, I mean, I talked to him about it, he apologized, I just...” There was a small thunk as you leaned your head backwards against the drywall. “I dunno, clearly I can't stop thinking about it.”

“You're not clingy, bug. You're sweet and attentive and he's–” He's an idiot if he doesn't think that. He couldn’t say that, could he? God, he was too sick to be thinking this hard. “He's probably so mad at himself for saying it.” He finished. Why was he defending this asshole?

”You're probably right. I just...what if he was right?“

”He wasn't.“ Matt snarled, deflating as your touch reminded him of your fragile emotional state. ”I mean, hell, if you're clingy that would make me a parasite.“

Tutting in disapproval, you nestled closer to him.

Chuckling morosely, Matt continued. ”Fuck, bug, I mean–when you left for class, I almost lost it.“

”Aw, Matt, you should've called me.“ He could hear your brow folding in concern.

”It's fine, I mean, I've done this alone for 10 years, I don't know why it was so hard all of a sudden.“ Matt scoffed, trying not to dwell on how weak he felt for admitting that.

”Well that's probably why, isn't it? This is the first time in 10 years you've surrounded yourself with your people, trouble. Once you've found them, it's hard to let them go.“ Squeezing his hand, your lips twitched up. ”Especially when you're not at your best.“

Nodding in agreement, Matt sighed. “Sometimes, I can hear the voice of my old mentor. Telling me not to trust people, not to get attached. And, when you two aren't here, it's harder to ignore that voice, to remind myself that it's ok to...to not want to be alone.”

“Of course that's ok, bubs. No one wants to be alone, not even your asshole of a mentor.“ Matt laughed at the anger in your tone. ”I know it doesn't make up for the fact that I left, but I brought you my notes so you won't fail?“

Smiling, Matt rubbed his face into your shoulder. ”Of course you did.”

“What?” You giggled, admiring his sleepy grin.

“Nothing, bug. You're just good at this. Taking care of people.” Burying his face in your neck as your arms wrapped around him, he whispered, “I'm so happy I met you.”

“I'm happy I met you too, Matty. Wanna listen to the book as you fall asleep?”

“I'm not gonna fall asleep.” He argued, his words muffled by your shirt.

“Sure, Matty.” You adjusted so that you were properly holding him up, your hand once again taking up residence in his soft hair. The narrator began reading the book's publication details and you settled in, tipping your head until it rested against Matt’s. 

Taglist: @eugene-emt-roe@abbyhaslongshorts@mrs-bellingham@abucketofweird@yeonalie@jadeunstablexx@spider-murdock@0ctober-writes@danzer8705@mattmurdockstateofmind

[therentyoupay]

im completely feral over all your jelsa stories!!!!!! do you ever write established relationship jelsa or have any headcanons about what they would be like together in a serious relationship or marriage????

THANK YOU SO MUCH. 😭😭😭😭😭😭💕💕💕💕🙏 thank you thank you nonny for this super sweet ask and this really lovely question and all of your love and support!! 💕💕💕💕💕

i have... never actually written established!relationship (in any fandom), now that i'm thinking about it? that said, i guess i can come up with a quick list of some headcanons, maybe? 😂 i will have to think about this more, but for now, here's a quick drop:

elsa is an early riser; elsa helps jack create more sustainable sleeping patterns and habit formations 😂

when jack gets Impetuous Urges to Do Something Rash and Impractically Spontaneous, elsa will ground jack, reminding him to think before acting. (he occasionally Still Does It, anyway.) elsa knows what she signed up for, lol.

jack loves to play Harmless(!) Pranks, just to watch elsa’s reaction. (he is no longer allowed to sneak up on her after The Incident).

they also quibble over the definition of "harmless" and the specific logistical implications of that; for a while, jack was banned from further pranking, but then he got more creative at showing elsa that pranks could be wholesome and genuine, in which they could both be in on the joke. however, due to elsa's deeply-rooted Need to Excel and her (Not-so)Secret Competitive AF Streak, her retaliation in escalating the Cleverness Prank War quickly resulted in jack's prompt implementation of the Prank-Free Zones and Time Periods. (no, he was not scared.)

elsa, usually reserved, has learned to let her playful side show more often with jack. she might still pretend to be exasperated by his antics, but sometimes it's part of the game (or habit).

elsa sill struggles with opening up emotionally sometimes, but she progressively feels safe enough to share her innermost thoughts and fears. with time, she confides in him more about her worries. she still never likes the idea that jack sees her Imperfect Parts, but at least she can tolerate the discomfort (and, yes, take comfort in it) now

(jack loves elsa's Imperfect Parts, and jack admits that he is Weirdly Proud and Competitively Honored to be one of the only people, even including anna, who gets to see them. he also is strangely Comforted and Validated that elsa is, in fact, not perfect because for a while there, he was pretty freaked out and intimidated by how fancy she is.)

until he realized that no one ever let her actually be a Weirdo before, and once he realizes the Truth of Elsa Also Being a Secret (albeit perhaps more Subdued) Weirdo, the Universe Aligns.

jack listens to elsa's Big Conversations intently, activating varying levels of Serious Mode.

jack is getting better at recognizing the moments when elsa needs him to play and needs him to listen or Give His Opinion or any combination of those things.

jack learns that it's not always about Saying the Right Thing (which he is not very good at, anyway, or so our Serially Unreliable Narrator thinks), but rather being able to read elsa's mood and anticipate what she might need (even if she is not aware of it herself yet).

elsa is meticulous about planning and preparing for special occasions.

elsa likes traditions! jack likes tradition only because elsa likes them, lol, and hey, okay, these are more fun than he thought?? (who knew fun could be organized??!!?)

so he really wants to show (off to) her by pulling off Incredible Planning Feats in her honor, too (they do not go as smoothly, lol).

jack will often go out of his way to spontaneously create something meaningful, a moment or a gift or a gesture, that reminds elsa that he cares. he is big on words of affirmation, gift giving (but like, souvenirs that he collects on adventures like, "i saw this rock and it reminded me of your cousin olaf, we should put it on the window after we paint his face on it"), and acts of service, as well as physical touch and quality time. HE WANTS LOVE. he wants TO BE LOVED. he wants to prove that he is worthy of being loved.

(and elsa has to get him to Chill Out sometimes, remind him that he doesn't have to Do Things For Her/Anyone in order to be deserving of care; he is more than what he provides for other people.)

(jack gets its, and appreciates it, but also, the Urge to Provide and Protect is still strong, even after so much time, and sometimes Old Habits Die Hard.)

i get the sense that he'd be the type to he wake elsa up in the middle of the night to take her on a surprise adventure, or convince her to Do a Fun Thing without any preparation (/warning).

and she would Be Alarmed at the Lack of Plan (especially if/when jack Did Not Think This Through), but he also took precautions to ward off Concerns by pacifying her with tea, or reassurances that yes, he did call ahead to make sure the restaurant was open before they left the house, of course he did, he would never just leave home without double-checking beforehand (and frantically googles it two minutes later when he thinks she's not looking; she is, naturally, and even occasionally pretends not to be).

elsa approaches conflict with a desire to resolve things Calmly and Logically. she tries to understand jack’s perspective, even when she disagrees, and she’s careful with her words, not wanting to escalate the situation.

however, she can sometimes withdraw emotionally, fearing that she might say something hurtful if she’s too overwhelmed.

jack was initially (and, honestly, still is, even though he understands more now) hurt by her tendency to shut down when she Feels Too Much, and understands (although it's still hard) that elsa needs time to process her feelings and organize her thoughts.

jack also helps elsa actually Feel her Feelings, instead of just trying to intellectualize and analyze them. (she hates it, BUT sees the value. jack lives for these moments in which he realizes that he's actually contributing positively to her life and helping her in some way, rather than just being a burden or a nuisance, as was/is his fear.)

his initial reaction might be to push for a resolution quickly, but he’s also deeply afraid of Creating Distance between them, so after the first few fights, he really makes an effort to find the right balance between Pushing Hard Enough and Not Pushing Too hard, so that he doesn't drive a wedge between them as they work things out.

jack FEELS intensely, and can be so stubborn. he does not always have the most precise vocabulary or tools to describe his thoughts and feelings, or identify the root causes of what is actually going on inside him; sometimes elsa asks a lot of insightful and guiding questions that help jack come to the conclusions himself, and other times, she Puts Into Words the very thing that he had been thinking or feeling, but could not name, and it is very reassuring to have someone who understands him well enough to be able to do that.

after conflicts or arguments, they take time to Decompress and reassure one another (especially if at least one of them, if not both, was Overthinking again).

when they argue (and healthy couples do, remember!), it’s a dance of patience and understanding: elsa might need a moment to Collect Herself, and jack learns to give her that Space while also making it clear that he’s ready to talk whenever she is, and that he is going to try very hard to be Rational and Patient About It.

in the end, they both prioritize their relationship over any disagreement, always finding a way back to each other.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hey! I've gotten super into solo rpgs but I tend to find combat boring. Are there fantasy themed rpgs with less focus on combat that you would recommend? (If they are soloable, that's also a win!)

THEME: Fantasy Solo Non-Combat.

Hello friend, thank you very much for your ask! I'm going to direct you to two Solo-themed game recommendations first, before I dive into today's recs.

Character-Focused Solo Games: Games that focus on character-building. Lighthearted Solo Games: Fun, non-serious solo games.

A Year in the Spirit World, by ToriBee.

The wind rustles through the emerald canopy above as you open your eyes to an unfamiliar world. You're lying on a bed of lush moss, the gentle warmth of the Spirit World sun caressing your face. Around you, a forest of towering ancient trees, each pulsating with an otherworldly glow. It's ethereal, enchanting, and unlike anything you've ever seen.

Drawing from a deck of fate, you'll encounter spirits, creatures, and natural phenomena as enchanting as they are daunting. Each encounter might test your spirit, challenge your harmony with this world, or tempt you to act against your values.

There is some combat in this game, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be the focus. The game is about survival, but you’re as likely to be navigating social situations as you are to be fighting enemies. What I like about this game is the spirit companion who will travel the world with you: there are four different options, each of them cute and enchanting. If you love Studio Ghibli films, you should definitely check out A Year in the Spirit World!

The Goblin Thought, by Kai Medina.

The goblin hoard - a pile of goods and trinkets - is a place of greed, yes. But it's the same greed that thrives throughout this land of men and beetles. It's the allowed selfishness that helps us learn and grow, walk and run, screech and scramble. The hoard is the goblin's memory.

The Goblin Thought is a unique and engaging journaling game that combines chance and narrative to create a compelling story. Players take on the role of a goblin, collecting memories and items in their hoard as they navigate through a world of wonder and danger, allowing for growth and change. With a deck of cards and a six-sided die, each turn presents new challenges and opportunities for creative storytelling, drawing, and reflection. 

This game is placed in a fantasy setting, but with a larger purpose. It’s both a journaling game and a thought experiment, a chance to place yourself in the shoes of someone whose history exists within the hoard they have accumulated. Each card you draw from a deck has three prompts attached to it, so you have the potential to play this game (and build a history) for a very long time.

Little Shepherd, Little Spy, by @psychhound.

You try to keep out of the whole war business.

It’s just not really your thing. There are more important things to worry about, like Gethin, your biggest ram, getting stuck in the fence again, or Ffion rubbing against the raspberry bushes and getting her wool all sticky.

Life is pretty simple for a humble shepherd such as yourself.

Little Shepherd, Little Spy is a solo journaling game about being a spy in the fairy war. Choose which side you're on, then draw tarot cards to interpret the messages coming through the information ring. Your tarot card tells you what book to look at and what page. Then you copy down all the relevant information on that page and consult your spy codebook.

I absolutely love fairy games and the premise for this one is super interesting to me. Your character will be interpreting messages that take the form of books that you have on your shelf, and you’ll determine which book to look at (and which page to read) by drawing tarot cards from a deck. If you look into this one I definitely recommend setting aside some time, and perhaps selecting a few books for each category to have on hand, to ease the cycle of play.

The Wandering Library, by AP.

You are the proud owner of a Wandering Library. Whether you bought, built or inherited it, it is your home. Travelling as far and as wide as you desire, your days are spent encountering an assortment of customers, exploring new locations, and tending to your beloved home of books.

This is a a game designed to generate prompts for you to answer in as much or as little detail as you would like. All you need is two six-sided dice and your preferred method of journaling. Using the tables provided, you will explore locations and meet different people, recording your adventures and encounters as you travel in your Wandering Library.

This is a simple one-page game that presents you with a few starting questions, and the supplies a grid of prompts that you’ll roll 2d6 for. Each prompt is a new event, complete with a question, asking how your character reacts. There’s plenty of room for your own imagination. The house is a travelling library, which feels pretty fantastical to me! This game will likely last a few hours or so; it’s not really built for extended play.

Fetch My Blade, by Ethan Yen.

For years you have served your Master faithfully. A loyal companion, you accompanied your Master through the difficult times, and the good times. Now, you are called in a moment of dire need: a Stranger has challenged your Master to a duel, alluding to time before you. Your Master rises to the challenge, calling you forth. This is your moment. You have trained for this. It is time to do your Master proud. 

FETCH MY BLADE is a solo journaling roleplaying game where you play as the dog of a retired legendary master of the sword, tasked with a quest of your own: retrieve your master’s fabled weapon in time for their final duel. On your quest, you will uncover and explore your Master’s guarded past-- transforming your character, deepening your relationship with your Master, and ultimately influencing your Master’s fate.

This is a lovely little game of exploring a dog’s relationship to their Master, and developing a backstory as you play. I don’t think there’s specifically a setting in place for this game, but the presence of swords certainly points towards the fantastical. There doesn’t seem to be any specific combat in the game, but violence is considered to have happened in the past, as the game provides a content warning regarding a war that has already happened.

[ghoul-slime]

Mushy May Day 6 & 7 - You're Blushing & Gift Giving (Aether/Dew)

Did a little bit of prompt combining and swapping this time around! Thank you again @forlorn-crows for organizing this. Normally writing challenges are really hard for me, but I'm having SO much fun with this one. And thank you @ghuleh-recs for the adorable dividers!

Day 6 & 7 - You're Blushing & Gift giving, Aether/Dew, no warnings, 1426 words

PS - See the end of the work for notes/photos of what Aether and Dew got for each other!

It’s their summoning day - eight whole years since the day Aether and Dew were summoned together straight from the Pit to serve the ministry. As with all summoning days, the pack throws a huge party, inviting all the ghouls and siblings in the abbey to celebrate. Papa even makes an appearance to toast his two longest-serving band ghouls.

It’s a huge party, full of food lovingly prepared by Mountain and tasty cocktails served up by Sunny and Aurora. Swiss has appointed himself DJ for the night, knowing just what to play to keep everyone in the mood to party. There’s even a cake, and later, the pack goes around the room one by one, each giving Aether and Dew a thoughtful little gift. 

Finally, the night grows late and the celebrations begin to wind down, and Aether and Dew excuse themselves after exchanging a final round of bear hugs and big, wet kisses (Phantom is definitely not drunk, thank you) with the other members of the pack before heading back to their shared room.

They always wait to exchange their gifts for each other in private, a tradition they started just one year after their joint summoning. The same year they promised themselves to each other as mates.

As soon as their door is closed, however, Dew’s mood shifts. He seems anxious, eyes immediately darting over to the brown paper gift bag he’d set on the nightstand with Aether’s name written carefully across the tag.

“Can you go first?” Dew asks, uncharacteristically reserved. 

Aether smiles, unsure as to why the normally confident little fire ghoul might be so nervous, and passes his gift over. It’s wrapped simply in white paper with a red bow on top and the tag says “Dew,” with a little heart drawn next to it. Dew takes it and carefully tears into one of the corners of the paper with a claw.

“You didn’t!” Dew exclaims, immediately recognizing the mystery object. He rips through the rest of the wrapping with abandon and pulls out a hefty box set of DVDs in smart, red packaging.

“I did!” Aether beams, proud of himself and delighting in the way Dew is already ripping off the cellophane and flipping through the sizable book of disks with a massive grin on his pretty face. “Couldn’t have us running out of movies to watch on kung-fu night, now could we?”

“Yes!! You’re the best, Aeth!” Dew exclaims with delight, throwing his arms around the quintessence ghoul and showering his face in kisses. “Gotta pace ourselves this time though. We watched them all way too fast last time.” He looks back at Aether with wide, expectant eyes.

Aether nods in agreement and presses a kiss to Dew’s forehead. Happy that his nerves seemed to have calmed for the time being and ecstatic that Dew loves his gift so much.

Dew flips through the disks for another few moments, rattling off all the titles he’s most excited to see. Finally, he sets his gift down and reaches for the bag he has waiting on the nightstand.

“Ok, my turn,” he says, and all but shoves the gift straight into Aether’s chest.

Aether takes the bag and contemplates the little ghoul for a moment.

“You’re blushing,” he informs him, matter-of-factly.

Dew’s head whips up.

“Um, I am definitely not blushing,” he answers with an indignant little pout. 

“No, no. You are definitely blushing,” Aether assures him. “Should I be worried about what’s in this thing?” he teases, holding the bag up next to his ear and shaking it gently.

“Oh my god just open it already before I change my mind and throw it out the damn window,” Dew barks, blushing harder.

Aether leans over to kiss the other ghoul on the lips apologetically before turning his attention back to the gift bag in his lap. He carefully takes out the tissue paper and reaches in, pulling out what looks to be a large, leather-bound book. 

Dew holds his breath.

Aether sets the gift wrap aside to inspect the book, turning it over in his hands. It’s heavy, hand-bound in a supple black leather with a beautifully embossed crescent moon in the center of the cover. Below the moon are two alchemical symbols, also embossed, one for fire and one for quintessence, and around the edges and corners is an elaborate, twisting geometric design. Aether turns the book over in his hands. Along the spine are four brass rivets and in the center, a beautiful piece of brass antique hardware with scalloped edges and a natural patina. 

Aether flips the book’s cover open. There he finds beautifully hand-marbled paper with a bright purple scalloped pattern. There’s a hand-stamped bookplate affixed to the inner cover too, a black and white image of a crescent moon surrounded by a sky of stars, reading ex libris in Latin across the top. On the bottom someone has written “A+D” with a calligraphy pen. And finally, hanging inside and bound into the spine is a thin, black leather bookmark with a tiny brass star charm matching the look of the hardware on the spine. 

It’s absolutely beautiful and like nothing Aether has ever seen before. But despite the antique look of the book, it smells brand new. 

“Dew, did you make this?” Aether looks up at the fire ghoul in awe, mouth agape as he realizes.

Dew’s still blushing, and he reaches to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Yeah… Mountain helped me with it. Showed me how to emboss the leather and bind all the pages together and everything.” He looks up at Aether. “I messed up a bunch though, so it’s not perfect or anything,” he explains, still rubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to make a more elaborate bookplate too, but I ran out of time because I kept fucking up the paper marbling…” he trails off.

“There’s uh.. There’s more too.” He starts again. “If you open it.”

Aether carefully opens the book again, this time to the first proper page, where he’s greeted by a collage of photos, little pieces of paper, and other flat objects, lovingly and meticulously affixed to the pages. The first photo is of Aether and Dew, way back on their very first day in the band together. The very first day they met. They stand side by side, not close enough to touch, silver masks pulled over their faces and obscuring their expressions. Dew stands rigid straight with his chest puffed out and his bass strapped across his front. Aether looms tall next to him, shiny new black Fantomen guitar in his hands.

Aether flips through the book and sees their entire history laid out in front of him. Photos of Dew slouched over, fast asleep in his seat on the tour bus. Aether caught with a mouth full of ramen noodles at a restaurant in Tokyo. There are more than just photos too. A pair of their first guitar picks, lovingly used and placed beside each other. A pressed flower, the first flower Aether playfully passed over to Dew after catching it from an audience member. There are little scraps of paper torn from hotel room notepads with silly drawings on them. Pamphlets from tourist traps that Dew insisted they stop at while on the road. A menu from their favorite taco spot in Mexico City. Pages and pages of photos and objects full of cherished memories. 

An archive of them.

Aether can’t find the words, so Dew breaks the silence. “I only filled it halfway… since I figured we’ve got so much more to add in the future.”

Aether makes a choked sound, and Dew looks up at him for the first time since he opened the gift.

“You’re crying.” Dew informs him, a smug little grin creeping across his face. 

Aether sniffles. “No I am not…” 

“Ok, fine. Maybe I am a little bit,” he immediately concedes, wiping away the tears that start to stream down his cheeks. 

Aether sets his precious gift down on the bed and pulls Dew in for a hug, wraps his arms tight around the little ghoul and presses kisses and happy tears into the top of his head.

“Thank you, Dew,” he says after a while of holding his favorite ghoul in the world tight in his arms. “I love it so much, I don’t even know what to say.”

Dew reaches up and pulls Aether down for a kiss. He doesn’t even know why he was nervous at all in the first place.

Dew's gift. What I based Aether's book on, what the marbled paper looks like, and examples of what a bookplate looks like!

[cricketnationrise]

Oooh I'd LOVE a ficlet!! Have been loving your fics <3

[Congrats on the followers, bud! Same name on AO3]

a time stamp - 5:25

a location - coffee shop

a character - Alex or Henry

a song title/lyric for vibes - enchanted by tswif: The playful conversation starts Counter all your quick remarks

HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PROMPT 💜 I freaking love this song and this scene basically popped into my head fully formed so I'm so glad to be finally getting to it!

read the rest of the ficlets here

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

5:25am, coffee shop

One fine day, Henry won’t have to get up before the sun has even risen. But until that magical day, Henry stops by Brews & Books for his first Earl Grey of the day with a for-fun novel while he waits in line. It may be before six in the morning, but the small, family-run shop is already packed. 

A quiet, but emphatic “fuck me” catches Henry’s attention, but it’s the thump, slide, and contact of a heavy book with his foot that pulls him completely out of his novel. He glances down to see some sort of textbook and stoops to pick it up, fingers brushing with a strange spark as someone else reaches for it at the same time. Henry glances up to find the single most attractive man he’s ever seen. 

His dark circles rival Henry’s own, but the combination of a riot of dark curls, warm brown skin, and eyes like molten chocolate knock the breath from Henry’s lungs. 

“Sorry ‘bout that, sweetheart.” Henry wants to wrap himself in the man’s accent. Normally, the stranger’s beauty would have Henry clamming up, but there’s something so welcoming in the exhausted smile flashed his way that makes Henry practically bloom. 

“Not to worry, love. I wouldn’t expect much from anyone before being caffeinated.” Henry stands and reaches down to help the man up after him. 

“Two problems with that,” he says, ruefully as he accepts the help and straightens up with his textbook. “One, this will be my second cup already.” Henry’s eyebrow raises of its own accord. “I know, I know, I have a problem, but consider this: it keeps me functional.”

The man’s hand is still in his. It’s warm, despite the bite of the early morning air. Henry doesn’t let go either. 

“You said there were two problems?” Henry asks, proud when his voice comes out even and a touch teasing rather than stuttering from an abundance of gay pining. 

“Right! The other problem is that I’m this clumsy all the fucking time. My sister and her girlfriend have decided to classify my clumsiness as an ‘outlier of nature,’” the man says with a truly devastating grin. 

Henry can’t help a little huff of laughter at that. “I’m well versed in the despairing older sister department.”

“Did yours treat you like a personal dress up doll, or is that just me?”

“Constantly. I tried to get out of it exactly once growing up and Bea turned on the waterworks so quickly I thought she was auditioning for a hose pipe. It did guilt me into letting her do it though.”

“Dios mío, if June had any ability to cry on command she would have pulled the same shit, I’m sure.”

Their shared laughter draws the man’s attention to their still-joined hands. He pulls away at last—not that Henry would have minded holding his hand for the rest of the day—the hint of a blush showing up on his cheeks.

“I—ah, sor—”

“Next!”

The call interrupts the unwanted apology. Henry sends a rueful look behind him as he goes to order. The man shrugs, a smile tinged with what Henry’s romantic heart hopes is disappointment at their conversation getting cut short. He orders quickly and asks after Linda’s children as she punches in his order. Henry’s about to pay when a brilliant idea strikes.

“Linda, I’d like to pay for the man with the curly hair behind me.”

“A little pay it forward moment?”

“Something like that. May I borrow your sharpie?”

She grins wickedly. “Oh I see, go right ahead, honey.”

Writing quickly while Linda runs his card, Henry prints his number and a note: I don’t usually do this, but it seems you’re an outlier in more ways than one. Dinner tonight? - Henry.

By the time he’s done and collected back his card, his tea is ready at the end of the counter. He picks it up and turns back to see the stranger watching him, a sort of wistful look on his face. Henry can feel himself blushing, but lets himself look back at the man who upended his morning. The man’s face splits into a blinding grin and if Henry didn’t know any better he’d say the sun rose just to shine on his curls. Henry salutes the man with his tea before backing out of the shop and off towards his classes. He barely makes two blocks before his phone buzzes with a series of texts. Henry beams down at his phone as he reads.

Unknown Number: holy shit that was smooth i bet i can be an outlier in a BUNCH of different ways actually 😉 (i’m saying yes to dinner in case that wasn’t clear) i’m Alex by the way it was fucking enchanting to meet you Henry can’t wait for tonight

[insertsomthinawesome]

I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!! Okay so honestly I have been very very inconsistent over the years with just disappearing for periods of time due to various things 😂 So it probably seemed pretty normal to most people.

But it felt different on my side, so I'm excited to be back in business. I took a month long hiatus! 31 days of not drawing digital art. Its not something I talk about on here? But I've been suffering from some serious long term Art Burnout for.... a really really long time. Long enough that I should've taken a break probably years ago. It finally got so bad that I could barely draw. I was scared to do it (cause it always looked "bad" in my eyes [i'll come back to that]) and doing it was exhausting and disheartening.

I talked it over with somebody and realized that the fear and anger and frustration I felt towards my own artwork was uh. Not Normal or Healthy. And I finally committed to taking a real break for once.

I still drew a little bit by hand? Traditional art has always felt like it has lower stakes for me (i don't often share it online, and sometimes I don't even share it with friends) so I did some of that when I felt like it. But Digital art was completely off the table.

I had put such an immense pressure on myself to make my digital art perfect, to make as much of it as quickly as possible to satisfy something. It wasn't fun anymore. I'm proud of what i've made over the years! But for a long time now the stuff I've been making was made while hating every second of making it. With some rare exceptions.

I hated my art! It was a combination of Perfectionism, taking in too many external expectations, and the burnout. If you hate doing something its kinda hard to love it even when you want too lol. It wasn't "Bad" in the sense that the quality was low and it was ugly! It was "Bad" in the sense that it was unhealthy for me to keep doing it at that point in time.

I'm glad to report though, that with my hiatus officially over as of Wednesday last week: I am once again. In Love. With doing art, and being an artist :)

I put off taking a break for years cause I was scared that taking a break would mean that I would never achieve all the things I wanted to do with art. I was scared it was a stupid and lazy thing to do that would mean I'd never achieve my dreams. And Also even though I kinda hated drawing, I also loved making art. Its a weird duality that I can't even really explain??? I hated it but I also loved it. I wanted it but I also wanted to run from it. It wasn't until I was more mature and had more clarity and insight (and unfortunately also until the problems got worse) that I was finally able to let go of those fears and just do it.

And I'm really really glad I did. It was everything I needed. And I hope to strike a better balance in the future with art. Taking more breaks when I need them, or just when other things have my attention like reading or Video games (Some star rail got played during this time xD)

From the outside things probably aren't going to be that different?? At this point I don't really have any sure plans to post anything I've been drawing since my Hiatus ended. I might or I might not xD I'm still a hobbyist artist taking things at her own pace, but I hope that it shows how much happier I am :)

Whumptober 2023 is being officially put to rest by this post btw! I was in major burnout when that event started, and I'm ready to just, move on from all the past expectations I'd shoved on my shoulders. If I feel like filling any of the prompts or going back to any of the ideas I'd come up for it I will! But I'm not going to worry about doing it unless the desire sets in. Thanks to everybody who's been so kind to me throughout my time on here as an artist! Ya'lls tags and screaming and kind words, the fanfic, the asks and the responses? Its been fantastic :) You guys have made me laugh, smile, and cry tears of joy. I hope from here that things only get better and sweeter! And if I have bad days again, that's okay too.

Here's to 2024 and whatever it may bring ya'll :D 🎉🎉✨✨🧡💜

[smoll-tangerine]

[a/n]: i somehow couldn't find this ask anymore (it probably got deleted) but thankfully, i had it saved on a google doc! i'm slowly going back to writing the remaining requests from my one-year anniversary event! to the user who sent me this request, thank you so much for your support!! i see that you have deactivated but i hope that somehow, you'll find your way back to this request of yours! also, yay, my first haechan request! i'm not too familiar with him/his character, but i hope you guys willl enjoy this nonetheless!!

lee donghyuck/lee haechan: character unlocked!

PAIRING. haechan x female reader GENRES. romcom, fluff, college!au PROMPT. "i'm always flirting with you. keep up." WORDS. 683

You were breathless by the time you got to the hospital, slightly feeling guilty that you couldn’t make it on time to see your boyfriend head in for his colonoscopy. 

Both of you were practically adults now, only a year left before you two graduate from college, and yet he could still act like such a child. Especially when he found out that you were going to be late for his appointment.

But then he stopped whining when he found out that you were going to be late only because you decided to attend the class – the one he was missing due to his appointment – and take notes for him so that he didn’t miss anything. 

“Hi,” you greeted the receptionist. “I’m the guardian for Lee Donghyuck? He had a colonoscopy at 3pm.” 

Her eyes lit up in what seemed to be amusement and motioned the door behind you. “Ah, so you’re the girlfriend he was telling everyone about. He should be coming out soon. Get ready.” 

Your brows furrowed in confusion, wondering what exactly should you be getting ready for. 

The second she finished her sentence, you saw Haechan come out with the hospital staff pushing him to his room. 

“Donghyuck!” you exclaimed happily. 

Your boyfriend seemed drowsy, probably the lingering after-effects of the anaesthesia. You had to hold your laughter back from how goofy he looked, especially combined with the hospital gown and the messy hair. 

“Who are you?” he asked as he smacked his lips a few times. 

You frowned at his question. “Are you really asking me who I am?” 

“Mhm, yeah.” He hummed and then giggled. “You’re pretty.” 

Oh, you wished you could film this moment and show it to the rest of the boys. Renjun would  totally make fun of him for this. But you also wanted to keep this moment to yourself. Was that selfish of you? 

“Can I have your number?” 

“You already have my number,” you answered, slightly annoyed, but also amused. 

“Stop lying. I don’t have your number.” 

“Donghyuck, I’m your girlfriend. I’m pretty sure that my number is on your phone somewhere.” 

“You’re my girlfriend?” Donghyuck gasped, almost exaggeratedly. “Wait, where’s my phone. I need to make sure that it’s true.” 

“How about I’ll give your phone back when you’re feeling a bit better, yeah?” 

“I’m feeling awesome, though?” 

“I bet you do.” You snorted and patted him on his head. “Stay here while I get your discharge papers, alright?” 

“Can’t you bring me with you?” 

You looked him up-and-down with a side-eye. “In your current state? Yeah, no. Why do you want to stick to me so much? Just be a good boy and stay in your bed until the anaesthesia wears off.” 

Donghyuck pouts, his bottom lip jutting out in disappointment. “Is it so wrong of me to want to be next to my girlfriend? I guess I’m a sugar because I stick to you like glue-cose.” 

You made a face of disgust and apprehension. “Babe, that was so bad. It wasn’t even funny.” 

But that didn’t stop him from dropping another line on you. “I wish I were adenine so that I could be paired up with YOU. Get it? Like adenine is paired with uracil, and uracil’s symbol is the letter ‘U?’” 

You sighed through your nose. 

“Oh, oh, I got a better one! If I were an enzyme, I would be a helicase so I can unzip your gene,” he said and looked super proud. 

Was this how he was able to seduce you and ask you out? 

“Are you really flirting with me, right now? In this state?” you asked him while pinching his cheeks. 

While you were slightly unimpressed by his choice of pick-up lines, you still somehow found him pretty endearing. 

“I’m always flirting with you. Keep up.” 

You shook your head and left to grab his discharge papers. 

You regretted just the slightest for not filming him. 

But Renjun’s cry of anguish when he found out that you didn’t film Donghyuck at a moment of weakness completely made up for it.

[eoieopda]

I loved the dad joon and dad yoongs drabble 🥹 it's freaking cuteeee omg jade 😭😭 *whisper* can you do dad-to-be or dad seokjin too please...? I'm on a seokjin missing hour 🥹 thank you ❤️❤️

of COURSE! i’m combining this with a request @cinnamin-ji made for my 1k drabblepalooza which, of all things, was SUPER TUNA 😩😂

listen here

c: marriage!au, dad!jin, fishing? lol, not proofread because i’m tired but i’ll come back later to fix what i imagine are numerous, glaring errors!

Kim Seokjin wasn’t known for his quietness. In the years you’d been together, you’d only identified two circumstances in which he was silent. Still.

Come to think of it, perhaps sleeping didn’t truly belong on that list. After all, Seokjin had a habit of talking to you even while he slept. More alarmingly, he proved that sleeping and making himself laugh weren’t mutually exclusive. On more than one occasion, his unexpected giggling broke free from his dreams and ripped you out of yours.

With sleeping crossed off, the only circumstance left on that list was fishing. He went often and, thanks to you, he never went alone.

Initially, it confused you whenever he asked you to tag along. It was well-known that you didn’t have the stomach for catching - or releasing - living, flopping, terrified fish. So, you figured, he wants someone to talk to. Unfortunately, you learned the hard way that your constant chatter scared off all the nearby wildlife.

After spending countless, sleepy mornings by the water, it finally dawned on you: conversation was never the point. Seokjin simply wanted to do his favorite thing, in his favorite place, with his favorite person at his side. Even if you were half-asleep, or reading, or knitting to pass the time, you were along for the ride. That was all that mattered.

Well, not all.

Someone had to be there to praise him whenever he successfully caught something. Clapping for himself was too difficult to do while reeling in his prize; and it didn’t hold a candle to your proud grin. Lucky for him, he’d married his biggest fan.

Well, you used to be his biggest fan. Now, there was stiff competition coming for your title. A brand-new contender, a dark horse vying for the role of Seokjin’s favorite person. You were, of course, amenable to a tie. Negotiations were stalled, but would resume once your sole competitor could speak in sentences.

This morning’s trip was a special one. For the first time, it wasn’t just the two of you on that dock, basking in that lakeside sunshine. Importantly - though he was too shy to say so - Seokjin was eager to share his beloved pastime with someone who might actually, meaningfully participate in it. Unfortunately, that dream was a few years away from becoming a reality.

After all, his new fishing partner had only just mastered the art of sitting up on her own.

As you sat in your foldable camp chair, you tried and failed to think of anything better than your current view. No sight could ever compete with that of your husband trying his very best to cast a line, all with a seven-month-old baby strapped to his chest. Two perfect halves making up the whole of your heart.

Every time he drew back, Jinseo’s relentless wiggling prompted Seokjin to lose his focus, his balance, and his - self-proclaimed - perfect aim. When he did manage to follow through on his dutifully-practiced cast, his baited hook would end up in the shallows with the weeds. So, he simply kept trying.

After his seventh unsuccessful attempt, he turned around to face you. You expected him to whine out all his frustration, but he quickly proved you wrong. Instead, he was laughing so hard that his eyes crinkled and his nose scrunched. If you looked closely, you might’ve spotted a stray, mirthful tear making a break for it.

Jinseo, that chubby-cheeked menace, was unbothered by her role in her father’s downfall. She babbled and kicked her little legs as if her life depended on it, none the wiser. And when she giggled, she did so with her entire face.

Just like her father.

Through your own laughter, you gestured to the marshmallow baby squawking happily under the brim of her floral sun hat. “Do you want me to take her off your hands for now?” You called out, but quickly amended, “Er - off your chest?”

“We’re okay!” He chirped with a wave. Unbeknownst to him, his most-loved accessory echoed his movement - albeit with a tiny, far chunkier hand.

Copy, paste.

With the fondest look you’d ever seen in his eyes, he beamed down at his fishing partner and tickled her sides. As he did, he cooed, “Isn’t that right, Jinnie?”

Her reply came in the form of giddy squeals and spit bubbles, but it sure sounded like a resounding yes to you. Having drawn the same conclusion, Seokjin shot you a wink and a smirk to match.

“See? I’m finally not the only Kim who likes to fish!”

a/n: did give my own name to the aforementioned marshmallow baby? yes. yes, i did. do i regret it? absolutely not! lil beeb ain’t the only jinseo droolin’ over kim seokjin 😂

[acupofqueercoffee]

“Make me proud”

Requests by @anonymous

Not sure if requests are open but I may have a fun one! 🤍 How about a Lesso/Reader where the reader gets placed into the school of evil, thinking and trying to convince everyone she's actually evil. But she's more of a "wholesome" evil. Not wanting to like... take over the world but more of a "hey... just curious... what's your favourite flower?" *the next day a person finds their favourite flower in a bouquet on their desk* kind of evil. Like "evil but the motive is you're happy". Technically very manipulative which is probably what ended her up in the school!

Umm you're literally sooo talented, I was just reading a Lady Lesso fic I'm crying you write angst so well 😭 I loveee angst. Would you be willing to write someday for a Never reader whose parents were Evers so they're like kinda abusive? (you don't have to go in detail since the reader is in school anyway). So maybe there's holidays and the reader doesn't want to go home or something like that and Lady Lesso comes to the rescue. Ofc it would be platonic. 💕 If you can't write it I completely understand btw! I looove your work!

i hope you guys don’t mind that i combined your requests. i just thought they would go well together. i honestly couldn’t get into detail for the first prompt. i hope you’ll still find it satisfactory! my god, seriously, genuinely thank you so much for all the compliments 🥹🫶🏻 i’m literally all over the moon 💕

────────────────────

Evermore. A family famed not only for having the quintessential traits of an ever, but also for always being enrolled into the school for good.

They have been upholding this tradition for generations upon generations. In the course of history, never have there been a case of an Evermore becoming a never.

Well, at least, not until you, the only Evermore child of your parents, find yourself drenched like a rat and floating in the moat, the hauntingly dark castle of the school for evil standing before your very eyes. The black water surrounding you splashes and ripples as more and more students keep plummeting.

And just like that, you are absolutely royally fucked.

It has started out rough, your journey at the school for evil. Everyone has given you a weird look on the first day. Oh no, it certainly has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you have been sticking out like a sore thumb amongst cool goths with your flamboyantly fancy gown. During the first assembly alone, you have caught the evil dean rather blatantly burning holes into you with her scalding gaze, nose wrinkled and brows furrowed as if repulsed by your very presence. If looks could kill, you would have definitely perished right then and there.

It does not take you, a goody two shoes as your peers like to tease you, long to prove yourself.

Although it has not been ideal for a confetti bomb to be an evil student’s choice of weapon, it has splendidly done its job of distracting your opponent. That little distraction has been all you need to catch them off guard, avoiding their impending attack by sliding through the gap between their legs, and from behind, striking the back of their head with the heavy hilt of your sword. In the twinkling of an eye, they fall to the floor unconscious.

And that is that. The end.

You do not want to be presumptuous but you swear you have seen your dean’s lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile. As your eyes trail further down, you catch her fingers tapping against the back of her hand, that is maintaining a firm grip on her cane, almost as if she is clapping for you in the most subtle of ways.

As far as you are aware, the last time your eyes have wandered off to the direction of the dean just before your confetti bomb explodes, she has been looking positively stressed, fingers on her forehead as she shakes her head disapprovingly. The knowledge that you must have made your hardly sway-able dean proud makes you tremendously proud and all gleeful.

Your little triumph has left you surrounded by your fellows the rest of the day. The next day, a girl in your classroom has miraculously found a big bouquet of flowers on her desk. You are just minding your own business when she comes up to you, asking if you want to hang out with her that afternoon. You have agreed, and just like that, you have gained a new never friend.

Adjusting into your new life has been relatively easy for you. You have even done a good job at it. To be unreservedly frank, from the very beginning, you do not mind being sorted into the school for evil. You have always found yourself never fully fitting in with your family, but, since your parents have always appeared so jolly reminiscing about good old days at their alma mater, and subsequently, stubbornly convinced that you will be following their steps, you have thought it best to keep quiet, not wanting to disappoint, or argue with them for that matter.

Honestly, you have never really quite understood why your family is so obsessed with upholding the tradition of always being evers, but you have believed, you have foolishly, naively believed that your parents will understand, that they will, for once, hear you out, that they will accept you for being who you are, ever or never, because at the end of the day, you are still their flesh and blood. Their only child.

“You are a disgrace to the Evermore family.”

Those words have come out of the very mouth of your own mother who has once called you her sweet little sunshine. You have been immediately declared the black sheep of the Evermore family just because you become a never, and the reality that you are but a mere pawn even to your own parents gives you the blues. It has been a bitter pill to swallow. For a while, the sadness follows you around like a shadow, but surprisingly, quicker than you can imagine, you have found tranquility in the darkness, and by the end of the week, all you see when you think back on the incident is red, a bright, burning red.

In the wee hours of the night, the school is hauntingly quiet, but today especially more so, bar the swooshes and whooshes of the arrows being released from your bow, for many have returned home for the Christmas holidays. The moon is in her prime, high on the sky. Courtesy of her soft ethereal glow, you are made aware of the presence of another, as a new shadow is casted on the ground.

“Hello, Lady Lesso.” You greet without turning, releasing another arrow that, yet again, embeds itself in the bullseye.

“Evermore.” When you turn and smile at her, she acknowledges. “You’ve been at it for hours.”

“Have you been stalking me professor?” You challenge, wiping the sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand.

To your surprise, she hands you a towel that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but after a second thought, you conclude that she must have brought it with her.

“I was simply keeping an eye on you.” The dean points around with her cane as if to emphasise her point. “It’s an ungodly hour to be practising archery.”

After a moment, she asks. “What’s bothering you?”

You sit on the grass, lies down. The stars look awfully pretty tonight.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Hmm.” With a hum, she approaches you, once again surprising you by sitting down beside you. “I see that you’ve stayed behind for Christmas.”

“Yes, well, let’s just say I’m in a bit of a sticky situation.”

“Do you want to talk?”

At this, you look at her, and find that her eyes have never left your face.

“Will you listen, Lady Lesso?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to listen, would I?”

A smile forms on your lips while a sigh escapes your lips.

“My family, that’s what’s bothering me. Scared as I was, I was also hopeful at first that perhaps they would understand. But then, I was devastated and sad when they rejected me instead of encouraging me for finally embracing my true self.” Unable to hold her gaze any longer, you aim yours back at the sky. “Now though, all I feel is anger and,…and bitter resentment. Frankly professor, I don’t think I want to do anything with them anymore. It was not me but them who shunned their own flesh and blood. I don’t want to go back to a family that can’t even accept me for who I am.”

Once you are done talking, it feels as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

“You are not wrong, Evermore. I do however want you to know that you can always talk to me should you need anything. I may be evil but I’m still a teacher. I care.” Your dean’s words of encouragement have been like a soothing balm on your strained soul.

Even though you like to believe that you are not hurting anymore, when all is said and done, it, of course, is not entirely true. You have been your parents’ little sunshine after all. It baffles and wounds you all the more just how easily they can become indifferent to you. It is as if everything they have said and done, all the things that the three of you have been through together after all this time means as much as rubbish to them.

Without your parents in your life, some things can, and will never be the same again.

Which is why your dean’s words truly, truly mean a lot. You can feel that they come from deep within, uttered with sincerity.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but can you promise me one thing, Evermore?”

You gaze follows her as she moves to stand, cane returning back to its rightful place by her side.

“Make me proud.” She says, thrusting a hand out for you to take. There is a smile on her lips, a warm, easily discernible smile, and witnessing it makes your lips stretch into a bright, beam.

“I will.” Your hand slips into the dean’s. She holds it tight, helps you onto your feet. “I promise.”

“You know Lady Lesso, you’re surprisingly very kind and considerate for someone so evil.” You remark while gathering your things, uttered without even noticing yourself.

So, by the time her cane lands on your buttocks, it has caught you off-guard. Jolted into puzzlement, you stare at her, wide-eyed. “Say that again and I’ll chop your tongue off.”

“Yes ma’am!” You make a show of zipping and locking your mouth before dramatically throwing the imaginary key into the pond.

Although the dean has shaken her head at your silliness, she has smiled at it all the same.

“Come.” And go, you do, like a lost puppy being guided into safety. “I’ll make you a cup of hot cocoa. It’s Christmas after all.”

You may have decided to spend your Christmas away from your own flesh and blood, a family of evers, who cannot even appreciate you for who you are, but your Christmas has never been warmer, spent under the wing of a practical stranger, your wickedly evil never professor who cares infinitely more about you than your ever parents ever can.

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[hand-picked-star]

The 13th Anniversary Arshi Fiesta

Moodboard : Historical AU

Whispers of the Heart | Chapter 08

I am not very good at writing ffs. I even read ffs very selectively. But it was an attempt of me to participate in the 13th-anniversary arshi fiesta.

I might be wrong about certain aspects of that age and era, but it's a fantasy, so why not? I don't own Arnav and Khushi and the story is purely fictional and has no relation to any living or dead. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Chapter 8

It was a joyous affair, brimming with colour and laughter. The blushing bride and groom faced each other, ready to begin their jaimala ceremony. Khushi's radiant smile lit up her face, her eyes sparkling with mischief and laughter. She was delighted to witness not only her brother's wedding but also one of her childhood friend's special day. She was somewhat relieved to see Arnav loosen up a bit as well.

Khushi was ecstatic when Mr. Ganguly and his family left early to catch their train, unable to stay for the late-night pheres. They promised to keep in touch once back in Calcutta. She secretly hoped they would break their promise.

As soon as the Pandit asked them to proceed the ceremony, Akash lifted Aman to prevent Anjali from placing the jaimala around his neck, causing ripples of laughter among the crowd. Suddenly, Arnav appeared from behind and lifted Anjali up, surprising both brothers. As a result, Anjali successfully placed the mala around her future husband's neck.

It was such a trivial moment, but Khushi couldn't help but blush as the muscles of his arms bulged beneath the black kurta from the exertion. The corded muscles of his back and shoulders rippled with strength as he moved. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his defined forearms sprinkled with dark hair. He had gotten a haircut a few days ago, and the neatness of it accentuated the ruggedness of the two-day stubble, making him look irresistibly handsome.

Khushi's gaze lingered on him, captivated by the effortless masculinity he exuded. Her thoughts began to drift, drawn into a vivid daydream. She imagined him dressed as a groom, standing tall and proud in a mandap adorned with flowers and lights. She saw herself standing beside him, her hands adorned with henna, dressed in a resplendent bridal outfit. The image was so vivid and beautiful that it made her heart ache. But as quickly as the vision appeared, she shook her head to dispel it. Khushi lowered her head, her cheeks still warm from the blush, and tried to focus on the present, determined not to let her imagination run wild.

A soft knock interrupted Khushi's struggle with an earring, prompting her to turn around from where she was sitting in front of her dressing table. There, on her doorstep, stood Arnav. The warm light above her head, combined with the fading evening glow, created a soft halo around her.

But as she tucked her loose hair behind her left ear, her fingers brushed against the earring she was wearing. Her mind went back to Arnav again and what transpired between them a few hours ago.

Arnav stood transfixed for a moment, taking in the marvellous sight before him. Khushi always possessed an effortless beauty, but today she looked truly ethereal in a maroon-red saree that draped elegantly around her figure. The colour seemed to illuminate her skin, giving it a radiant, almost translucent quality. Her raven-black hair flowed like a silken waterfall down her back, enhancing the allure of her appearance. For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still.

"Arnav," her soft voice broke his reverie.

" Um...I'm here for Aman's sherwani. He needs to get ready. It's almost time," He replied in a thick voice.

" Oh! it's on that table."

Nodding his head, Arnav moved towards the designated table but his attention was suddenly diverted by the sound of Khushi's distress.

" Hai !! Devi maiya!!! e kya ho geya???? What will I wear to the wedding now? " she whined.

"what happened? "

"See, my earring broke," she exclaimed, turning her whole body to the left.She displayed the broken pieces with an adorable pout. The corners of Arnav's lips lifted of their own accord.

He kneeled in front of her, "Let me see."

Handing him the earring, Khushi clutched the side of the stool she was sitting on. His proximity sent a shiver down her spine as his familiar scent swirling around her, tinged with a hint of musk and sandalwood. Despite her previous distraction with the earring, she couldn't help but notice how impeccably he had dressed for the occasion. The black kurta he wore draped his frame with subtle elegance. Was it the kurta that made him look so debonair, or was it he who made the ordinary kurta look spectacular? Before she could find an answer, she heard him ask. "Do you have any safety pin?"

Her hands darted out to find one. Once she handed it over, he deftly coiled its wire into a circle and used it to mend her broken earring, restoring it to its former charm. Khushi's entire face lit up, eliciting a sense of accomplishment in her companion as he gazed at her.

Taking the earring from him, Khushi turned back toward the mirror. Her fingers trembled as she attempted to secure it on her left ear. Each time she tried, the delicate jewellery slipped through her grasp, frustrating her efforts. Arnav remained kneeling before her, his gaze fixed on her struggle with a calm intensity. With a sigh of exasperation, Khushi tried again, determined to succeed this time. Sensing her struggle, Arnav reached out and gently grasped her hand. "Let me."

Carefully, he retrieved the earring from her trembling fingers and brushed her hair aside, exposing her left earlobe. He delicately secured the earring in her piercing. The warmth contrasted with the coolness of the jewellery. His fingers lingered, causing goosebumps to rise on the back of her neck. Their noses nearly touched as Khushi turned to meet his gaze. The air around them came alive, vibrating with an almost palpable energy.

Arnav's gaze drifted to the centre of her eyebrows; her bindi had become slightly askew from her previous struggle. Without breaking the moment, his left hand moved gently to adjust it, his touch gentle and focused, almost as if in a trance. After ensuring the bindi was perfectly in place, his fingertips trailed down her cheek in a tender caress. The closeness between them was intoxicating, and most importantly, Khushi's mind was free from any haziness. Even in the dim light, she could see the subtle dilation of his pupils and how the golden streaks in his irises blended seamlessly with the rich caramel brown. And how every tiny muscle in his face appeared to unwind, shaping his features into an expression she hadn't fully familiarized herself with yet.

"Oh, Sanka Devi, jaldi niche aao, aur kitni deer se taiyaar hogi ?"

Buaji's voice shattered the moment in an instant. Arnav swiftly rose, grabbed the sherwani, and hastily left her room. But, a spark of hope lightened her heart. It was the expression on his face, which had remained constant since he had come back to Dehli for the wedding. She always prided herself on being intimately familiar with every subtle nuance of his expressions, akin to knowing the back of her hand. However, this particular expression was unfamiliar to her—although she vaguely recalled seeing something similar when they kissed. But, She couldn't be sure, uncertain due to her hazy memory. Determined, she now felt compelled, more than ever, to utilize her expertise in deciphering Arnav's emotions from his facial expressions.

The laughter of the flocks around her brought Khushi back to the present.

After the jaimala ceremony, everyone moved closer to the mandap, where Arnav found himself standing beside Khushi. As the moment for the gatbandhan arrived, Khushi eagerly stepped forward but felt a firm resistance on her forearm. Turning back, she was surprised to see Suvadra Malik holding her elbow. In that instant, she noticed another familiar hand in her peripheral vision reaching for his Nani's forearm. As soon as Suvadra met Arnav's eyes, she released her grip on Khushi. Arnav encouraged Khushi with a subtle nod, prompting her to go forward.

Arnav turned back to his nani and said through his teeth,"What is your problem now? We talked about this earlier, didn't we?"

Suvadra glared at her grandson. "That girl is a bad omen, Apni baap aur ma dono ko nikal gayi."

''So is your granddaughter ''

''Khabardar jo anjali ki bare main ulta sedha bola toh! I just don't want any harm come to my Anjali bitiwa".

"I don't say anything, but that doesn't mean I can't. We are both here for her sake because we both want her to be happy. Don't create a scene. You'll only hurt your crystal-clear reputation." With a raise of his eyebrows, he drove his point home with his nani and left her fuming.

After that, the wedding went off without a hitch. Arnav was overjoyed for his little sister. Despite their difficult past, she had found love in an honourable man. No one knew Aman better than Arnav, and he was relieved that Anjali had found a husband like him.

As the final notes of the ceremony faded away, Arnav found himself engulfed in a profound sense of melancholy. Each moment, each fleeting glance, reminded him of what he was about to lose. With no reason to stay any longer, he knew he had to leave soon.

After the wedding, an impending doom loomed over Khushi, with each passing hour. To worsen the situation, a telegram arrived on the third day informing them that Mr. Ganguly had taken a liking to Khushi and wished to marry her as soon as possible. On one hand, Arnav was going to leave soon. She would probably never see him again. On the other hand, the marriage proposal became a pressing concern for her, despite Babuji's reassurance that they would not proceed without her consent. Yet, whether today or tomorrow, marriage seemed inevitable. Khushi couldn't afford to procrastinate on the marriage issue any longer, especially considering the impact it could have on Babuji's reputation. She always felt immense gratitude towards Amma and Babuji and couldn't bear the thought of them ever regretting raising her.

Khushi's heart pounded this time with urgency, urging her to summon her courage and confront Arnav once again with the knowledge and awareness, she didn't have before. She knew she owed it to herself to try, despite the fear and uncertainty. She needed answers, at least a closure, perhaps even a reckoning with the truth. It was her final chance to lay bare her heart and demand the honesty she deserved, regardless of the emotional toll it might take. She had nothing left to lose anymore.

That urgency and determination brought her to Arnav's door in the middle of the night, just a day before he was scheduled to leave.

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@featheredclover @arshifiesta @phuljari @jalebi-weds-bluetooth @chutkiandchotte @arshisrabbave @arshiradio @msbhagirathi @deliciouspistachios @titaliya

[ivy-loves-chocolate]

Pleaaaseseeee 19 and 20 combined with wesker PLEASSEEEEE i wanna be soft with him sosososo much!!!

Sure thing anon! I hope you'll like it!

19- Praise kink || 20- Morning sex - kinky prompts

Ko-fi || Patreon (if you want to commission me or join a membership, please consider visiting these two platforms. Thank you!)

Divider made by the lovely @alegrvs 🥰

It was early, and the alarm hadn’t gone off yet. You couldn't fall back asleep no matter how hard you tried, not to mention that you were in the mood really bad. You turned on the other side to face Wesker, who was sleeping on his back with his head facing your way and one arm next to his body and the other over his torso. He looked so calm and peaceful that you didn’t want to wake him up. But one glance at that pretty face did not help with your urges at all.

"Albert…" you whispered. Because of his super hearing, you didn’t need to call him twice.

Yes," he murmured, his morning, deep voice making you want him more.

"Are you awake?"

"I am now," he said in a calm tone. He could hear your racing heartbeat, so he knew what was going on with you.

"I-I'm..." you said with a feeble voice.

A smirk appeared on his face.

"I know." he said.

You gently uncovered the blanket, revealing his toned body. You gently tapped your fingers along his pale skin, going from his chest and making your way down to his navel. Wesker whimpered, and his hand began to rub your back.

His soft cock was laying on his thigh, and with a gentle grip, you took it in your hand and began to stroke it.

Hmmm," he hummed as his hand began to massage the back of your neck. "Good girl…"

His sleepy voice was sooo delightful to hear, especially when you had his cock in your hand. His shaft began to harden the more you stroked it, and soon you had your lips wrapped around it.

His cock disappeared inch by inch in your mouth. Its smell and taste were intoxicating, making it impossible to think straight. You bob your head a couple of times before pulling out, so take a breath.

"Sweetheart, you are doing so well." He praised as he pulled up some of your hair. "But I want to watch you."

With a smirk, you turned your head around and made sure to put on a good show for Wesker. You moaned and closed your eyes as your tongue began to twirl around his cock. Your mouth was wide open and your tongue out, licking his cock from the tip to the base and then back up again. When you reached the top, you took him inside again, going only halfway because he was fully erect and hard to take all in. You looked at him this whole time, and the man was enjoying every second of it as his cock began to twitch. 

"Hmmm, you are so beautiful, dear…come on, take it all." He said as he firmly applied pressure over your head to encourage you to go deeper.

How could you refuse him when he makes such sweet, sinful noises that drive you crazy?

Wesker gasped, and a small moan escaped from his mouth when you took him all. You were so proud of yourself when your nose reached his trim pubes, as you managed to take him all without choking.

"My God…" he said between heavy breaths. He parted his legs further and tightened his grip on your scalp, then he urged you to move up and down.

"Fuck…" he whispered as you began to move.

You closed your eyes and felt some tears run down your cheeks. It became a little hard for your throat to take all of that girth.

Seeing you have troubles and needing to feel your tight pussy around him, he gently pulled up your head.

"Come on, my love." he whispered as he helped you position yourself above his shaft.

One hand grabbed your hip, and the other positioned his cock at your entrance. His wet tip rubbed against your lips a few times before finding your hole, and then Wesker, grabbing your hips, made one deep, hard thrust, burying himself completely.

Oh, my God." You collapsed on top of him, with your hand grabbing his shoulder for support. The thrust wasn't painful, but it took you by surprise.

Sorry, dear, I got carried away." He said with his cock still deep inside you. One of his arms was wrapped around your lower back, while the other remained on your hip. His head was glued to yours as his lips began to hiss your cheek, slowly making their way to your neck.

"Tell me when it’s ok to continue."

"It’s fine." You said, hugging him.

Wesker continued, first at a slow pace but still going inside with the full length, and increased the pace over time.

"So good…so tight…" he said between heavy breaths.

The sounds he would make had quite an effect on you. They made you weak. Hearing those sweet whimpers, hearing him call your name, and hearing him praise you for taking him so well made you so soft in his arm.

"You are so tight, my love..." he whispered as he kept thrusting inside you.

"Albert…."

Eventually, orgasm hit you both at the same time. Your contractions made Wesker lose his control and release his load inside you. He pumped weakly inside your throbbing cunt after the first shots, then, after a deep exhale, he wrapped his arms around your back, holding you close.

You raised your head a little after catching your breath so you could see Wesker. He still looked peaceful, but this time his cheeks were red and his forehead was sweaty.

You pressed your lips over his, and he hugged you tight. His soft cock was still inside you, but you didn’t want to remove it as it gave you a pleasant sensation.

You both kept pressing your lips over each other, enjoying this simple, lazy morning kissing.

You would continue like this the whole day, but sadly, your moment was interrupted by the alarm.

"God damn it." He scoffed, looking annoyed at the alarm. Still, you didn't cease and continued to place small kisses over his cheeks.

"You have no idea how much I would want to stay in bed with you all day." he said, enjoying your small, affectionate gesture.

"I know my love... trust me, I want to keep kissing you all day, from head to toe."

Wesker chuckled.

"You are adorable..."

Unfortunately, duty called for both of you. With a deep sigh, you both got out of bed, even if it was so hard to detach from one another.

Taglist: @shadow-wolf510 @skylar-todd